Is 3.x Your Favorite Version of D&D?

[Gothmog]

Not even close- 3.5 is my least favorite edition of D&D.

I'd rank the editions in this order for style and general feel:

AD&D 1e
D&D 4e (AD&D 1e slightly ahead, but not by much)
AD&D 2e
Palladium (hey, its a D&D clone)
D&D 3e/3.5

Never played Basic D&D or OD&D, so I can't really rank them, but from what I have read of them, they look fun.

But for sheer playability, DM friendliness (for example, I never did really figure out how psionics worked in 1e ), and the amount of fun we have with it, 4e is the best hands down. To modify slightly what Psion said earlier in this thread:

"D&D 4e is the one true edition. All others were prototypes."

 

[Sunderstone]

3.5 is my favorite (even with the occasional heavy prep time).


I miss 1E sometimes for the nostalgia, great memories in ToEE, ToH, and the Slaver series etc.

 

[Clavis]

I liked the d20 idea in theory, but hated how 3.x edition was implemented. I was 100% with cleaning up and modernizing the D&D ruleset. I wasn't so hot on the clunky, slow combats that needed miniatures to adjudicate properly; the statblocks from hell; taking an hour and a half to make a character; and the endless power creep (that was more like a charge towards the end).

My favorite "official" version of D&D would be the classic Rules Cyclopedia, closely followed by 1st Edition AD&D.

Both those versions had some problems, however, which is why I'm playing C&C right now.

 

[Steely Dan]

I never did really figure out how psionics worked in 1e

I sat down in the early 90's and forced myself to read and understand the entire Psionics section in the 1st Ed PHB…

…I'm still getting over the emotional trauma it caused me, never again.

 

[tankschmidt]

I was pretty surprised by the poll results until I noticed the age of the thread!

For me the order is: (from best to worst)
OD&D, Holmes, Mentzer, Moldvay, AD&D, 2nd edition, AD&D +UA, 4E, 3.0, 2nd edition + Player's Option, 3.5

 

[Steely Dan]

For me the order is: (from best to worst)
OD&D, Holmes, Mentzer, Moldvay, AD&D, 2nd edition, AD&D +UA, 4E, 3.0, 2nd edition + Player's Option, 3.5

Yeah, I have to admit, 2nd Ed + Player's Option was a nightmare in my experience – talk about a Frankenstein's Monster.

 

[Agamon]

I like it better than 2e, so it's go that going for it...

 

[Mallus]

While part of my brain recognizes that 3.x, particularly late-model 3.x, is a much better rule system than its predecessors, I ran my favorite campaign using a customized version of 2e. Since I care more about campaigns than the rules used to build them, I hesitate to call 3.x my favorite...

... then again, my current bastardized 3.x campaign is a blast. It's close, close I tell you.

 

[Steely Dan]

... then again, my current bastardized 3.x campaign is a blast. It's close, close I tell you.

Yeah, our glorious orgy of 3.5, UA variants and Saga was pretty hot, but we've decided to embrace 4th Ed for now.

 

[Mercule]

I like each edition well enough when it comes out (except 2e, which I... disliked other than a couple bits). But, I find that the shiney eventually wears off.

1e brought me joy for about a decade, maybe 12 years if you include the few bits I pulled from 2e. I was sick of both when I walked away. 3e brought me about 6-7 years. I'm sick of it, now. 4e looks shiney. Ask me again in 2014, since 6 years seems about average. (I played Basic D&D, but migrated to AD&D before walking on the system.)