I especially like no ability modifier damage bonus for monsters, just roll dice, like pre-3rd Ed.
Apparently one of the 3rd designers (Jonathan Tweet?) regrets adding ability modifier damage to monster attacks.
In the context of 3e, Tweet is wrong - it's an unavoidable feature, not a bug.
3e monsters use, fundamentally, the same rules as the PCs. That means that if Str adds to damage for PCs then it
must apply for monsters.
Furthermore, that's good design. In 3e, it's entirely likely that monsters will gain the same buffs as the PCs, and they should work in essentially the same way. If a PC is hit with
bull's strength and gains +4 Str (with a corresponding increse to damage), and then a monster is hit with the same spell, then the monster really must gain the same effect.
Now, it's important to note that this is not the only way that the game can be constructed. Prior to 3e, and also after 3e, monsters used different rules from the PCs. And the games were also constructed so that it
isn't common for monsters to receive the same buffs as the PCs. (4e, to its credit, also got away with things that gave ability adjustments, negating one of the big problems in the game, and also this particular issue.) Under
that paradigm, it's entirely sensible that monsters don't add their Str to damage.
But, under 3e, it's not only desirable - it is
required by the rest of the system.