What are your favorite systems?

Still the old (really old) classics.

1. AD&D- first edition, though second edition is okay too. Don't like 3rd edition and beyond as much.
2. Traveller or Mega Traveller.
3. James Bond 007, an old 80's RPG by Victory Games that we kids played.

AD&D 2nd Ed. and the Chaosium BRP system (Stormbringer, Call of Cthulhu...).
From the modern systems, I like Unisystem (Zombie: AFMBE) although some of its games are pure junk...

I don't play TRPGs myself, but I do enjoy discussing them.

I think my ideal system, to be honest, would probably be something like a TRPG counterpart to the way SaGa games work. I actually thought about how the mechanics might work, but basically, on each action there'd be a roll to determine whether you spark a new tech, and after (or perhaps during) each encounter, you would roll to see if any of the stats you used increase. I haven't actually tried these ideas to see how well they work in practice, but one thing I like about this is that it makes character growth an integral and constant part of the game, rather than something that only happens occasionally. (For example, in D&D, if we don't use any epic level rules and there are no level decreases, character growth happens at most 19 times, and the action stops for a while for this to happen; with this idea I have, character growth would happen frequenlty and be brief.)

Incidentally, one thing I don't like about D&D 3.x is the number of mechanics that depend on precise positioning. Attacks of Opportunity are one example; I don't like the idea that a character can get an extra attack just because of the opponent's actions, plus you need to keep detailed track of this. Simply removing them is not an option because of other mechanics that depend on it (Combat Reflexes, for example, which in turn is a prerequisite for other feats).

Another thing I don't like about D&D in general is how the system is so focused on accuracy modifiers; I would prefer a system where misses are rare and stats and armor mainly affect the actual damage dealt.

(By the way, is there any TRPG system that has continuous character growth rather than discrete levels?) Out of curiosity, why?

(Also, from my understanding, 4th edition is very different from all other editions of the game to the point where it might as well be its own game; lumping it with the other editions just doesn't feel right for this reason.)

Lots of. Chaosium BRP games are a good example. Because it *sucks*? :P

Not played much for a while, but had great times with:
Shadowrun (2nd ed?)
Vampire: The Masquerade (also 2nd I think) and other World Of Darkness titles from the 90s
Call Of Cthulthu
Very old (30ish years) version of D&D

My favourite system is B/X D&D (1981).
I have also played a lot of d20 Modern (2002) in the past and enjoyed it a lot.

I currently do all my Tabletop RPG gaming online (forums).
I'm currently playing:

OD&D (1974, 3LBB only)
Delving Deeper (modern OD&D clone)
Mazes & Minotaurs (2007, "What if OD&D 's default setting was Greek Mythology?")
Pendragon 3rd Edition (1990)
Star Wars 1st Edition d6 (1987)
Traveller (1977)

Pathfinder, D&D 3.0, WOD 2.0, Shadowrun (any of them are great)

I haven't played any seriously since childhood (although have dabbled)... and yes, I was the kid who wasn't allowed to play D&D because my parents thought it was demonic. I had to play Dragonraid. Sheesh. Yeah, I was that kid.

Can't tell if its my favorite but Mutants & Masterminds 3rd Ed. (or DC Adventures if you will; same system) managed to pull me back after almost a decade of no pen & paper playing / dm'ing at all.

... reminds me of something in another thread...

Das Schwarze Auge (The Dark Eye)
Midgard
Both are german P&P RPGs. Both are good and have interesting worlds.

It's just what I grew up with when my main hobby was really detailed simulation board games, and that is how D&D started. So mainly nostalgia, but also because they strived for a level of simulation- though it all went out the window at higher levels I admit.

I find Pathfinder and how it came to be fascinating. I'm thinking of picking it up. Being a Pathfinder fan, did you play Pathfinder Kingmaker?
Yeah, I've never played The Dark Eye, but have gathered most of the materials with English translations and absolutely love the world they've created.

I've never heard of Midgard. Nordic RPG?

I have been looking at tentatively at Zweihander.

[edit]

WOW. Just looked up Midgard. That looks GREAT!!! Ok, I'm sold. I want that game.

Oh yeah. The dev team behind Pathfinder really made me feel confident in them with the story behind its creation.

I like Kingmaker but I was turned off by the time limits. Even though they're not terribly restrictive I'm not a fan of the Sword of Damocles hanging over my head.

Yeah, that's a mechanic in open worlds (or pseudo open worlds) that I don't understand.