I owned LotR, it is one of the best games out there. It is easy to understand, cause it's the same game like many other games out there, just with a Tolkien theme. You can get many games with othere themes like LotR.
There is no other game out there like TH. TH is something else and it's awesome. Perhaps TH is not for you. But I still think the rules are easy to understand, if you WANT to understand them. And when you start to go on this adventure........
Ok, I don't like to play it together with friends for competition. Other games are better for this. But if I am alone and want to relax and forget everything around me this is the number 1 game out there. Like the Tolkien fantasy world this game is escapism for me. I can get lost in some of these modes. Just like reading a good fantasy book.