Anyway, I have never played ME before so feel free to disregard anything
I say as utter garbage. I just thought I would offer an outsiders
perspective on the issue.
My advice Chris is try it and see. It might not be your cup of tea, but it is a good game. It just won the Origins Best Game again, as well as the Flagship Best Fantasy Wargame recently. I had lots of opinions about the game before playing it and have been happily surprised by how enjoyable I have found it. I would describe the game as a Wargame with a veneer of Tolkien thrown over the top.
Clint