I used to play and I have a couple of level-capped characters on there. It's a very, very solid MMO, and if you like your Tolkien you're going to be hooked pretty quickly. The environments are really beautiful and the story is great and sweeps you along the levels in a very enjoyable manner.
I've played a lot of MMO's and it has easily the best community i've come across. Hardly any idiots and most people seemed to be very friendly, so don't be afraid to ask questions. Regarding a learning curve, there's a great 'tutorial' starter area for new characters which covers all the basics you will need.
The only issue I had with it was the combat mechanics can be a very clunky and don't really flow. This might have been changed in the last year or so though. Also, it is free to play, but it's very restrictive unless you get a subscription (many questing areas locked etc).
Certainly a great place to have your first MMO experience though. Good luck.