I don't see how people can play two MMOs. There simply aren't enough hours in the day. And with the "launch" of Warhammer Online this past weekend (the servers went live for people who've pre-ordered the collector's edition), I'm going to have to pack my bags and move from Middle Earth to, uh, wherever Warhammer Online take place? Warhammeria? Hammerland?

Over the course of my last two weeks playing Lord of the Ring Online regularly, I went from level 45 to within spitting distance of level 49. However, this isn't because leveling is slow. It actually would have been easy enough to make a beeline to level 50, which is level cap until the Mines of Moria expansion comes out. But the reason that I didn't hit that level cap is because there were simply too many things I wanted to do. I discovered the new faction system, the summer festival goodies, and new locations. I enjoyed taking time to group with other players. I explored re-worked area like the Barrow-Downs and Angmar. I advanced my skill as a scholar. I fished. In brief, I enoyed playing the game more than leveling my character. And to me, that's the leading indicator of a good MMO.

So for the time being, farewell, Middle Earth. But I'll be back soon enough.

And for the lowdown on that awesome looking fortress up there, read the final Lord of the Rings Online game diary after the jump.

The storyline quests have taken me deep into Angmar, past a noxious brimstone swamp into jagged black mountains where the Council of the North nervously watches Angmar preparing for war. Out here, I constantly see messages from people looking for groups going into "CD", which I presume to be Carn Dum, a settlement where the story quests seem to lead.

However, what really caught my eye was Barad Gularan, pictured above, seen from the slopes near a hidden Ranger outpost (unlike the sprawling "hidden" outpost at Esteldin, this one is actually hidden!). I was told this imposing fortress is where Amarthiel lives. I'm not exactly sure who she is, but she seems to be part of an ingame event that Turbine conducted. The developers would actually play this character, roaming around the server and demanding that players kneel until she was defeated by powerful enough players. You can see her here.

It may not read in the little screenshot above, but inside the game, Barad Gularan is quite a sight. In fact, my first thought upon seeing it was, "If Turbine ever gets the game to Mordor, they're going to have a tough time topping that..."