Personal favourites are...

3d6 in order then shuffle a few points: As used on O and BX D&D in one form or another. This was the first system I played with so the one I tend to gravitate to given a choice. It allows a bit of freedom to get at least one stat close to what you want at a cost. It produces really random characters and obviously not everyone is keen on that. Works best with BX and O where stats were not as important as they become in AD&D an onwards.
4d6-drop lowest and assign: This is really the most elegant of the systems. Nice and straightforward.
Stat Array: 5e was my first exposure to this and I have since come to appreciate its strengths. It allows freedom of choice while keeping everyone on an even playing field. And removes any question of cheating rolls. I use this now alot for online campaigns.
Point Buy: 5e again was my introduction to this in a more solid form than prior. It gives alot of freedom, keeps everyone on the same playing field, and removes cheating rolls. Main drawback its its very abusable in the hands of min-maxers, moreso than array.

Quote from: Jam The MF on June 19, 2021, 12:07:56 AM
What makes you tick?

I personally like to roll up several characters with 4d6, drop the lowest; but straight down the line.  I assign a Class to each stat block, and choose one to start with.  If my character passes on, I already have a few stat blocks waiting in the wings.  Grab another, and let the DM work it into the game.

Everyone used to have a few characters ready to go, back in the old days.

4d6 drop lowest
2d6 + 6
3d6

No assigning though. Just straight down. I let the players choose how we'll start.

3d6 straight down the line.

The emergent gameplay from this system is outstanding; in my experience, and far exceeds the "oooo, I wanted to play a X ..."

Quote from: Omega on June 19, 2021, 02:50:31 PM
Point Buy: 5e again was my introduction to this in a more solid form than prior. It gives alot of freedom, keeps everyone on the same playing field, and removes cheating rolls. Main drawback its its very abusable in the hands of min-maxers, moreso than array.

That last part is why I've come to prefer arrays over point buys, but the real key for any of the "arrange to taste (or even swap two)" system I've found is it needs to mated to a system that doesn't have super-stats that are way more valuable than other stats.

Dex in 5e giving you initiative, AC, Dex saves, ranged and light melee attacks/damage and some solid movement based skills and is a prime example of a super-stat compared to the easy to dump Str (even an 8 Str can carry 80 lb. without being slowed) or Int (as long as you're not a wizard and someone in the party has it, throwing your 8 there rarely hurts).

Quote from: Chris24601 on June 19, 2021, 04:41:22 PM

Quote from: Omega on June 19, 2021, 02:50:31 PM
Point Buy: 5e again was my introduction to this in a more solid form than prior. It gives alot of freedom, keeps everyone on the same playing field, and removes cheating rolls. Main drawback its its very abusable in the hands of min-maxers, moreso than array.

That last part is why I've come to prefer arrays over point buys, but the real key for any of the "arrange to taste (or even swap two)" system I've found is it needs to mated to a system that doesn't have super-stats that are way more valuable than other stats.

Dex in 5e giving you initiative, AC, Dex saves, ranged and light melee attacks/damage and some solid movement based skills and is a prime example of a super-stat compared to the easy to dump Str (even an 8 Str can carry 80 lb. without being slowed) or Int (as long as you're not a wizard and someone in the party has it, throwing your 8 there rarely hurts).

No, no, no... An 8 strength allows 120 lbs. Without being encumbered under standard rules. The variant encumbrance rules are tougher, but end up pushing characters even more to abandoning heavy armor and Strength in favor of Dex.

Quote from: Jam The MF on June 19, 2021, 01:07:36 PM

Quote from: TJS on June 19, 2021, 03:20:31 AM
8d6 Take the bottom 5.  Then roll an extra 5d6  and add it to those 5 and take the 4th, 6th and 7th highest dice of that.

Then assign at random an ability score to each player at the table by drawing cards.  If you don't have 6 players than you just assign empty cards to empty places.

You then assign the ability scores in the order of the cards going counterclockwise from the youngest player.  Repeating the initial process as above.

You then check which ability score corresponds to the GM.  The player may then choose to reroll that score by rolling 6d6 dropping the highest and then choosing the next 3 highest die numbers.  If the result is higher than the previous ability score they can swap it.  If it's lower they can they choose to use it in place of their lowest other ability score.

If any player has their birthday in the month in which the characters are created they may choose to scrap the process of the first result, in which case, every goes through the process again, unless it is a leap year, in which the oldest player may make that choice instead.

I came to this method after a lot of experimentation and found that it was generally the simplest method to remember.

But how do you break ties?

Luckily the player who hosts has a small farm so we gut a chicken and check out the entrails.

4d6 drop lowest arrange to taste.

Quote from: bryce0lynch on June 19, 2021, 04:06:59 PM
3d6 straight down the line.

The emergent gameplay from this system is outstanding; in my experience, and far exceeds the "oooo, I wanted to play a X ..."

Only for those who like total random, or a system like O or BX where stats are not as vital.

From AD&D on that total random becomes less and less a boon and more and more a bane unless you really want a challenge. And theres players like me who love that sort of challenge. Just not all the time.

Its also bad for anyone who just does not really fit certain classes. "Oh yay, I can play another fighter or cleric I dont like playing..." or more often. "Great! I qualify for a Thief!" then never sneaks, climbs, looks for traps or backstabs and is at the forefront of every battle because they are really playing a fighter. (Which can actually work!)

And god help you if you get a randomphobe in the group. Then again what the fuck are these psychos even doing anything near a game with dice? Other than to bitch about there being dice.

Traveller: 2d6 in order, 2d6 of rerolls through char gen.

D&D: Array for modern editions.
D&D, older: roll 6 sets of 3d, rthen assign as desired. If total of atts is less than 50, may reroll

You know, thinking on it. Shadowrun was probably my first RPG played with a point buy system. But oddly it doesnt feel like a point buy system to me at the same time?

Quote from: Omega on June 20, 2021, 12:42:59 PM
You know, thinking on it. Shadowrun was probably my first RPG played with a point buy system. But oddly it doesnt feel like a point buy system to me at the same time?

Try 4e if you really want it to feel like point buy.

I prefer 3d6 arrange to taste. 
If someone is dead set on playing a character class (i.e. paladin) and can't meet the minimums, I'll assign those stats
at the minimums and make them use the lowest stats they rolled for the rest of the stats.
One of the DMs in my play group prefer rolling 6 characters 3d6 straight up and picking one.
Another prefers the 4d6 method and allows arranging them.
However nobody playing in our group actually cares that much about the rolling method,
but more so about what beer is on tap.  ;-)\

One thing I noticed as the editions developed was an inflation in player character stats - and a corresponding hike in monster hit points. I prefer the idea that you don't need to be extraordinarily strong, fast, wise, etc. to be a hero. You just need to be willing to put your character's life on the line. Inflating stats doesn't help you do that. It just raises the bar for what it takes for your characters to be considered heroes.

Quote from: thedungeondelver on June 20, 2021, 01:33:34 AM
4d6 drop lowest arrange to taste.

It's sad when such a good friend is so wrong. But then, nobody's perfect - which really demonstrates why 3d6 in order is right and proper.

It depends upon the system. If attributes are going to be a large % of a character's power - I definitely prefer either point-buy or stat arrays (potentially a few stat array options).

If the attributes don't matter as much and/or it's going to be a one-shot, then randomness is fine. I definitely enjoy rolling for a CoC one-shot.

But if the rolls are going to be a big chunk of the character over the course of a campaign - I don't want to leave it purely to chance. (I don't like to be either the crappy character or the OP character.)

That's why early D&D rolling for stats worked - because often it didn't matter that much - just on the edges. Especially starting in 3.x onward - your attributes are a big chunk of your character's power.