Melee/Mage. Reasons:

• I loooove magic, but
  
• I haaaate having to be defensless to use it and
  
• magic swords are epic so
  
• using a sword in combination with magic is also epic plus
  
• all of the various buffs and tricks that magic offers compensate for any shortcommings that a warrior has and
  
• boost his "natural warrior abilities" to incredible extremes (f.e. spells that boost defense, speed etc.)
  
• Also, it is a "best of both worlds" scenario which means
  
• that my character is the ultimate force on the field of battle that
  
• is ready for anything.

I always go for the paladin type of character, so I usually use mostly melee (swords) with some restoration and trace bits of other magical classes.

i always play a rogue/archer.
i like stealth and i like bows. i usually like shortswords as my melee weapon and i also usually specialize in alchemy for poisons, speechcraft for persuasion, and illusion for invisibility.
i seriously hope that all three (alchemy, speechcraft, invisibility) are implemented better in skyrim than in oblivion. unfortunately i'm not expecting too much for alchemy.
come on, suprise us bethesda!

Straight melee is the class im always best with. I find them to be not necessarily the easiest but most simple (for lack of a better word) class. After I finish this playthrough ill try stealth and then magic.

usually pure mage because they offer the most versatility imo

Depends on the game and game style.

Most times I try out a rogue or bard as they have the Jack'o trades feel I like, and can test the difficulty of a game pretty finely.
However they tend to get killed in game quicker, and tend to get shafted in the rules and system as well, especially in a CRPG.

So then I try out a magic user, find that most of the love's gone on them.
However enjoy the whole specialisation and powerful spell combos that are possible.

Then try out a fighter, for that in between feel, and ability to smash little NPC's with a big sword.

All this said the one class I miss, that was a common rpg stable of yore.
Is the priest, cleric, healer, druid, I liked the seperation of magic and divine magic.
A priest would have certain powers not available to a wizard, be stronger in combat, but less powerful, subtle than a mage.
As well as having far less access to direct damage spells.

I usually roll Melee/Magic because that allows me to best explore the games combat mechanics and give a good variety in the battlefield.

100 blades, armor, destruction and restoration magic? Hell yes

Lol I tend to sit staring at the character customisation for well over an hour trying to work out what approach I want to take. I think I've spent as much time looking at those screens as playing the game.

Mages tend to be the funnest class in the game, so i like to play them, but usually i play a warrior first to learn the game controlls

It depends on the game, but if I can I like to play a speedy warrior who utilizes a spear and shield (if the game doesn't have spears that switches to an axe/shield or a battleaxe), or a silver-tongued rogue of sorts (basically the Agent description for Morrowind) that mostly uses bows.

Pure Mage. Magic feels special and it's extremely versatile. When I make classes I always weigh what I want vs. what I'm willing to give up. My class choice heirarchy goes something like this: Mage > Archer > Thief > Warrior. I want more power at the expense of physical weakness. Besides, I can cast Fire spells.

Mh, it depends on the gameplay mechanics / system of said RPG.
Most of the time I do play as a mage / archer type ... Tactical combat preference. I'd love to combine spells to maximize their effects or to snipe enemys from afar... .
I only make use of melee tactics, if I'm able to lay down my opponent fast.