I always wonder about this too. Many things would have gone differently. Sam and Frodo would not have met up with Gollum. Gollum would not have betrayed them to Shelob. Frodo might have claimed the Ring. (Actually I doubt this because one of the Fellowship would have probably taken it and thrown it in the Fire.) And I agree with you Alchisiel. They probably wuld have been seen. There are many things that would not have happened, had Gandalf not fallen in Moria. Also, this would have made the story less interesting, and it probably would not be as popular and we probably would not be sitting here wasting our time talking about it.
