I've been playing
Lord of the Rings Online for the past week or so. It's free to play, and for the first 25 levels, not that different from a paid account.
There is a good backstory, of course, but also there is a crafting element. My character is an Elf, my class Hunter, and my craft guild woodsman. So while I am out killing orcs, goblins bears, wolves, I can also collect their belongings and skin/fur/ears, etc. I can sell their ears as trophies, and use my woodsman skills to tan and treat the fur/skin into leather which I can then use for crafting my own weapons, or sell for more coin. Likewise, I am always coming across Rowan and Ash branches which I can chop into logs, which I can use my crafting skills to turn into clubs/maces/spears/bows/crossbows, etc. at the next crafting Hall I come across.
From level 15 and up, you can purchase your own house in Middle-Earth, you can own your own horse to make going from place to place easier. There are dozens and dozens of basic quests available, from collecting someone's lost pig, to helping Farmer Maggot with his lost produce, to hiring yourself out as a guard. There is also the Epic Quest arc available after level 15, starting with talking to Strider in the Prancing Pony, and I'm assuming after many levels ending up at Mount Doom. The server game space is immense. I once decided, for the hell of it, to run on foot between Hobbiton and Bree - took me about an hour!
There are lots of good resources out there for gameplay, but I like this one the best:
LOTRO Quick Start Guide | mmorsel for Lord of the Rings Online