Just wondering which ones people liked best and why?

I prefer a mix. I usually settle into a play style of destruction, marksman, a one-handed weapon of either type, at least one of the lock-opening skills, and a whole lot of sneak. I tend to shoot off spells until my magicka runs out (which is quick--how do people play mages?), then use a bow until the enemy is close enough that it makes more sense to beat it to death. Then I sneak past things until I've got my magicka back. It just seems the most natural to me.

The closest to one of the classic types I've ever managed to stick to in this game was the one you left out: the sneak. Sneak is the most overpowered and rewarding skill in the game in my experience, and it takes me conscious effort not to power through by a combination of chameleon/sneak, picking my way through every lock thanks to the skeleton key, and always using a combination of poisons and sneak attack bonuses when I have to fight.

In other games I lean archer/warrior.

Ahhh forgot about the sneaky sneaky lol it's very difficult for me I will sneak past a bunch of guards or monsters then at the last minute I get seen just frustrating but a challenge is what makes the game fun I think I will try a sneaky thief character see how well I do I've always leaned towards mages or battle mages or warriors.

In this game I have a very hard time keeping one character (although I'm doing pretty well right now). But in every game that allows me I'm an archer. Nothing like seeing a group of enemies and watching them all freak out because they don't know where the arrows are coming from while I pick them off one by one.

I hate to admit this, I like playing a Heavy Armor wearing Mage who casts spells as arrows, then goes to a Claymore and on touch spells for in close battles. i like using Acrobatics to augment the ability to stay out of range of most one handed attacks by using timing and weapon reach. My character becomes a "Tank" and uses the protection of spells and Heavy Armor to attack and close with opponents.

I've played many characters, but only one since April 2009. She's a stealthy no-melee mystic archer and I wouldn't trade her for anything. She's a glass cannon and a blast. She's got enough quirks and gimps to be as vulnerable as a butterfly, and enough of the right stuff to strike like a dragon.

Personally none of the above. I prefer spellswords of the breton variety.

There's nothing like a battlemage. Most powerful class imo.

I like the Crusader pre-made class. It is part warrior and part mage, but it is more warrior than mage.

Custom Mage for me all the way. I've only played two characters over the last 2 years and both of them have a deep history to them. Arch-Mage Sabarel wears only cloth robes and even as a Breton gets splated quite quick yet can stand toe to toe with anything. Euisa is more combat based but still uses her magic to her advantage.

If I had to pick between the three specializations (Combat/Magic/Stealth) I would have to pick Magic.

KSG, Destruction Magic is a heavy Magicka drain, have you tried using Illusion and Conjuration instead, you will get a lot more diversity out of those two instead of just throwing fireballs.

Mage for me.

Helena and I have a great time in Cyrodiil, and it challenged to NOT use Destruction magic. Now even on my pure mage chars (Helena is a Healer), I don't rely on destruction.

Illusion is by far the most powerful school. Followed by Conjuration and Restoration for me. Alteration is always handy too.

I've played them all. My most powerful was a female Redguard barbarian. She would gleefully wade into battle swinging her custom claymore. My mage would kick butt too, even more powerful (magically) than the Redguard, but he would battle at a further distance. My current is an custom archer/mage. Chances are good you can't even get close to her, or get a face full of arrows, but if you do, she unleashes destruction magic, that hurts. Then she mysteriously vanishes only to appear elsewhere, to finish off the baddies.