Basically, I’m planning on starting up a game of my own on this site and it would be helpful to know which editions people are still willing to play. Just so that I don’t advertise a game for a rules set that no one’s interested in playing any more.

Personally editions aren’t a big deal for me, just so long as I’ve got access to the rules that I’ll need to play. I have a slight preference for 2nd ed when playing D&D, because it’s the system that I grew up with but I’m quite happy to play anything else as well.

Note: It should be pretty clear that I’m not trying to start an edition war here, please keep it friendly, people

I've played 2nd, 3rd and 3.5 edition. I liked all of them, but now I've played 3.5 I realise what a rip off the difference between 3rd and 3.5 is. They brought out 3rd too soon in their money hunger, and should've refunded all the books people bought too soon. well... about the favourite...

I totally loved 2nd edition because of the liberty you had. There were hardly any rules, and that meant pioneering your way through unexpected situations.
I really like 3.5 because of the fact that some things make more sense. I like how the saves work, and the fact that skills have a more firm role in gameplay.

but do I have a favorite? No, not really. The rules are just there to make gameplay possible. Whichever you use, if the adventure is cool, either edition is fine.
In my newer adventures I use 3.5 as rules, because I think they give a little more possibilities for creating real fantasy. It's easy now to make a goblin barbarian that is strong enough for your 6th level party to fight against. Try doing that in 2nd edition. You didn't see goblins after 4th level, or it was in rapidly growing numbers, or accompanied by a stronger monster.

that's my opinion... in a very chaotic way.

Second edition is my favorite. Probably because I am most used to it. I can add and subtract so 3rd wasn't that exciting.

I found that I played 2nd edition for years without having to pull out a rule book for every little thing, and I found that both 3.0 and 3.5 were so complicated in some areas, that a single round of combat took way too long to figure out.

I don't know whether it was a rules or the evolution of the newer players, but I have also found a higher incidence of overpowered characters that seem to have awesome abilities at low levels...call me old school, but characters that had a very real chance of dying had more "skin" in the game. I found that 3.0 and 3.5 characters went from being heros to super heros, and well, there used to be a game system based on Marvel characters, wasn't there? I stayed away from it for a reason

In table top, I've gamed mostly with one DM (Alacrity), who is now my husband, so we stuck with 2nd edition rules with some changes along the way (many of which are posted in the DM's corner here on the site). We had another friend who was also a DM, and he liked to dabble in different gaming systems, so we tried Star Wars, Ars Magica, and some system that was so realistic, our characters were nearly defeated while trying to cross a log bridge (seriously...a broken leg was near fatal, due to the chances of healing badly or infection leading to gangrene).

We still play modified 2nd edition, and Alacrity incorporated some elements of other game systems that he found appealing. Our characters have virtues and flaws, for example, from Ars Magica, and playing to your V&F adds XP.

One of the nice things about gaming online is that the players need not be overly familiar with the particular set of rules, as the DM will do the rolling offline and post the results (usually in the form of a narrative). Since I have always been more about the role than the dice roll, that suits me fine!

3.5!

I've only played D&D in 2nd Ed. so 2nd Ed it will stay ^.^

2e is my fav, but what with all the new stuff in 3e, 3.5 etc and the fact that most games are using that now...it's the one I use when table topping nowadays.

I'm a 2nd edition player, and always will be. My arguments for it will inevitably lead to conflict because my feelings towards 3e/3.5 are pretty strong and specific.

Suffice to say, I will gladly play older editions, but I generally refuse to deal with the newer unless something about the planned adventure really catches my eye.

I am an old-school gamer, through-and-through. I cut my teeth on basic, and grew up on 2nd edition. I got the first printing of the d20 fantasy (I refuse to call it D&D 3e, as it is so foreign to what the game was before) PHB and DMG as birthday presents, but I don't have them anymore, having passed them down to my younger brother, who has since lost interest in the game.

I still remember my first character.

(Stats rolled 3d6, in order)

Name: Tornell
Class: Cleric
STR: 9
INT: 8
WIS: 11
DEX: 10
CON: 6
CHA: 10

HP: 4

Mace, Chain Mail

Sadly, he died on his first outing, but, in his defense, the adventure was designed to kill him so I could get better ability scores, as my DM thought he was a bad character.

Ahhh, sweet nostalgia. How I long to reunite with my second and favorite character in the forest where sprites pranked my sister's Magic-user by enlarging her nose and ears to elephantine proportions.

As to a favorite edition, I have. For roleplaying, My favorite is Basic, because the player was free to roleplay, unfettered by the constraints of excessive rules.
For stability and game balance without powergaming, I say 2nd. The player was still free to roleplay, but in a more structured manner.

Sorry (not really), WotC, but my interest is in another edition!

Ryst, I think we may have found something we agree on.

Yeah, I still remember my first Basic Set game... Total party wipe in our first encounter, and it was 4 kobolds. LoL

Someone agrees with Ryst?

*hide*

Don't worry, Grugg. It's only about the edition.

3.5

After I make heavy modifications, and rearrange almost every rule =Þ

i would have to say that my favorite addition is 3.0 and 3.5

I like the nWoD rules from White Wolf

But as for D&D editions I'd have to go with 3.5 since that's the only edition I've played.