So far, I've received input on preference from Scotley, Shayuri, SelcSilverhand, Mowgli, and rangerjohn. Based on their preferences, so far my highly sophisticated* algorithm has determined the following ranking if these five players were to take part in the game:
1st place: Rise of the Runelords (however, I do not have the anniversary edition as I am not rich enough to afford the $200 price tag; I have the original releases with PF conversions for encounters)
Tied for 2nd place: Curse of the Crimson Throne and Second Darkness
Tied for 4th place: Council of Thieves and Legacy of Fire
6th place: Kingmaker (this AP was so far behind the others that even if the other two players listed it as their top preference, it would be impossible for it to budge up even one spot so it's safe to say it is out of the running at this point)
Aside from Kingmaker, it is still close enough that [MENTION=28453]J. Alexander[/MENTION] and [MENTION=24234]kinem[/MENTION] could alter the placings of all five other APs, however, so I will wait for their input. Since we have seven interested players, I will evaluate which AP has the highest raw score among hypothetical six-person groups and use that as the basis for selecting the players. Other players are still able to toss their proverbial hats in the ring as well, so anyone who is interested still has a shot at being selected depending on the best hypothetical six-person group.
Regarding ability score generation, 2d6+6 and point buy both seem to be popular options. I've never seen anything wrong with 4d6, drop lowest as it has about the same average result as 2d6+6 (12-13), but I suppose 2d6+6 reduces a bit of randomness. I'd also consider the dice pool method. I think my preference would probably be for point buy. But let me know which stat generation method you would prefer. Methods under consideration are:
Standard: Roll 4d6, discard the lowest die result, and add the three remaining results together. Record this total and repeat the process until six numbers are generated. Assign these totals to your ability scores as you see fit. This method is less random than Classic and tends to create characters with above-average ability scores.
Heroic: Roll 2d6 and add 6 to the sum of the dice. Record this total and repeat the process until six numbers are generated. Assign these totals to your ability scores as you see fit. This is less random than the Standard method and generates characters with mostly above-average scores.
Dice Pool: Each character has a pool of 24d6 to assign to his statistics. Before the dice are rolled, the player selects the number of dice to roll for each score, with a minimum of 3d6 for each ability. Once the dice have been assigned, the player rolls each group and totals the result of the three highest dice.
Point Buy: Standard Fantasy (15 points).
Note, I will choose the ability score generation method independently, unlike the choice of AP, which is going to be up to the players. But I am interested to know which methods the players prefer to help guide me towards my decision.
At this point, I'd also like to ask the players what they prefer to use as a battle map tracker. The two methods which seem to be most popular are 1) google docs spreadsheets which are simply and easily manipulated by players for them to take movements on their turns and 2) GM managed maps which can be more detailed, but require the GM to update them, meaning sometimes players have to "imagine" the battlefield before a GM has had a chance to update things. Option 1 has the advantage of being more accessible and easy to read but the disadvantage of lacking detail. Option 2 is the reverse; it has more detail but is less accessible and can lead to confusion regarding the placement of AoE effects. If players have suggestions on other ideas, please feel free to offer them up. I've used both option 1 and option 2 in the past but neither has ever completely satisfied me.
*highly sophisticated in this case is a subjective term