A VERY reluctant hobbit! But not so much adventrous. I am very glad you are enjoying the story!
Of the encounters with other players, I must say that much of it is happenstance....
1. I asked Hemni to help me with the search for Old Sally, but when we met up was after starting the quest and discovering that the shrews were quite difficult to defeat on my own. Hemni came online after I had fled the fields, leaving Old Sally to retreat back into the bushes. We actually met while I sat along the roadside healing, which made for an excellent intro to both characters.
2. Meeting with Dyre in-game was completely by chance. She had contacted me about joining the adventure, but our meeting in Buckland was due only to the fact that we ended up being online at that very moment. We then ended up scheduling another time to meet to finish the journey into the Old Forest.
3. Eoleof: Anther good bit of timing. He had contacted me about lending aid, but it was not until I arrived in Bree that we first met, and of course it was at the same time that Hemni and Dyre were online as well....
A walk down the Great East Road is never simple...at least for a common hobbit from the Shire!