A Wide Open Question, without any qualifiers.

I own many editions of the game, and some OSR stuff too; but at the end of the day, I run a mish-mash homebrew more akin to the OD&D genre.

Either BECMI + the Gazetteers or 3/3.5E. While the 3E era is controversial to some, I'm always surprised by how seldom they notice how the quality of the writing (AKA fluff) in that era is still unparalleled. Same with BECMI.

Varies a lot over time for me, but I enjoy using 5e D&D to run a wide variety of styles & genres. Serious Conanesque Swords & Sorcery in Primeval Thule, gonzo Sword & Planet in the Wilderlands, and 1e-style heroic lowish fantasy sandbox in Forgotten Realms are three big ones.   

Definitely OSR.  My first choice would be Swords & Wizardry (Core) but will happily play or run LotFP also.

For pure dnd BECMI is it for me. If we're also including OSR my favorite game is DCC.

Whatever gives me the most plusses

Kidding, kidding. Honestly, I'm just happy to be rolling dice. Though 2E has some charm to it that I've missed.

Paladins & Princesses.

Of published options, BEMCI/RC or one of its close cousins.  As in, "If I get to have one D&D to use from now on," that's the one I'd pick.

That is my choice despite not really preferring "race as class", descending AC, the BEMCI saving throws, the BEMCI optional skills, racial level limits, etc.  Which says something, I guess, about how much I like other aspects of those games.

BECMI/RC and 2nd for me. Mostly because that is what I grew up with.

For genre, I prefer Sword and Sorcery(Conan/Lankhmar) and Dark Fantasy (Elric/Darker stories of Middle Earth) though my favorite D&D setting is Ravenloft.

BECMI and 4e.

I don't even know cuz D&D has changed so much throughout the editions it's hard to pin-point WTF "D&D" even is at this point, other than "It has the same six stats!", and I've always had nitpicks with every edition to begin with.

That being said, I like 3e as a basic framework to establish roll mechanics (d20+Mod), attack bonuses and ascending AC, and the idea of "Feats" (whose implementation SUCKS in 3e, but I like the concept), with bits of 5e (simplification of combat mechanics) and older editions (2e Kits and simplified classes with HD that cap out after a certain point), with and elements from 3rd party systems derived from d20 (like how PF 2e handles Skills using Ranks, for example, or using only three classes, like in True20).

EDIT/PS: I totally HATE D&D's magic system, though, and would totally revamp it entirely. I'm currently working on an effect-based magic system that uses power points instead of spell slots for my own version of d20.

Probably homebrewed original D&D (the little brown books plus house rules). But it's a close match between that and 1e AD&D.

Quote from: VisionStorm on April 19, 2021, 12:20:25 PM
EDIT/PS: I totally HATE D&D's magic system, though, and would totally revamp it entirely. I'm currently working on an effect-based magic system that uses power points instead of spell slots for my own version of d20.

Sounds neat, you gotta basic framework you wanna share or is it still under wraps?

To me White Box FMAG is it, with DCC right there, and AD&D 2e a close second/third.

I grew up on OD&D and so there is a special place in my heart for that one. Both C&C and DCC have a nice old school vibe and I love them, but my group mostly plays 5E. Not a great answer since I name-dropped four different games. I like D&D with a freestyle approach, so any of the four are good for me when played that way.