I compromise on my games: standard (medium) difficulty, with a fixed EB at 25M (works for LOTR, CV, WPT). FOr LW:JP, the EB is at 10M and game is set to Easy. (And it's still as hard as any other game in the line-up!) What is really brutal is Mars Trek on 3-ball play. I caved and set it to 5.

Actually, at least as important as 'control' is aiming. Perhaps more important. If you can aim and hit things on the fly as well as when trapped, you'll do a lot better than if you can trap/stop every ball but your aim is off!

As for 3-ball v 5-ball over the years, I don't see the logic in setting modern (SS/DMD) games to 5 ball just because EMs used to be that way. Modern games were designed for 3-ball play. But it is all good, however you want to play! I wouldn't set my modern games to 5-ball: games would last forever when people came by to play, even if I'd get further into them myself.

If it's set up well, LOTR is a very controlled game. Orbits should come around to the flippers, not hit the slings. I have a deflector on the POTD--no random bounces, ball feeds the left inlane. Both side ramps feed the flippers, center ramp feeds a flipper or orbit. There aren't any major drain shots (even short center ramp shots should drop to the side), so long ball times are very possible. Not every ball, heck, not every game, but some balls/games seem to go on forever. My best was around 300M on factory difficulty, 3-ball with EB at 25M, and it was close to an hour long. I'm sure many here have done even better!