Best Games for Each Genre

I am well outdated when it comes to PC games. I enjoy RTS games, but haven't played a good one since Age of Empires II. I enjoy RPG's, and other than Oblivion I haven't played many in a LOOOONG time. Never played FPS's much, and there are some other misc games that I've played and enjoyed. The last time I was playing PC games with any frequency, it was Starcraft & Diablo. But I wanted to ask, if someone wanted to get back into gaming, and didn't really have any preferences as to genre, what would be your top 2-3 titles per genre to buy/play? Why or why not?

I will be getting a new rig, but have no games to play on it

Is there even any hint of a Diablo III? I hadn't even heard rumors. SCII will definitely be a buy.

Guild Wars interests me. I'm not into paying a monthly subscription, but am not averse to playing online (which other than some short forays into Battle.net for Diablo II I haven't ever done). How does it work? Is it one of those where a new player is going to get mopped up by the many more experienced players out there? Can you delete and configure a new character if you don't like the old one?

RPGs - I really dont play any. If I were going to play RPG I would play a MMO but those things destory lives.
FPS - Battlefield 1942,2,2142; Counter Strike: Source; Team Fortess 2 Oct8
RTS - COH, I didnt like C&C3, World of Conflict (Mid Oct)

if your rig is powerful enough, Supreme commander is an EPIC game (and the expansion is coming soon) its a bit of a jump from aoe2 tho oh and also, fear is a good game (fps)
C&C 3 is a lazy rts, where ppl can't play intensively in the same way as SUPCOM (although supcom can be TOO intense if you have an hour long game where you basically can't rest)
oh, and you might want to try the 2 most recent tomb raider games, they're good 2

I daresay a q6600 would handle supcom easily enough
he could also try quake wars (I prefer battlefield, but I can see that some ppl might prefer it)

Hellgate London looks interesting. And out of nowhere this weekend, I saw a trailer for Star Wars: Force Unleashed. Not sure if they're going to release it to PC or not, but it looks awesome from what I saw of it.

I like X3: Reunion which is a space combat and trading simulation. A bit of a learning curve, but it's a great game with nice eye candy. While there is a story, you don't need to follow it. Kinda like Morrowind or Oblivion in space.

It's not a pure combat game. There is a trading aspect to it in which you can buy and sell goods and eventually build space factories that other races can trade with. You could opt to go for the pure mercenary route where all you take are combat mission.

The game could last just a short time where you follow the story, finish it then play another game. Or you can try and max out as many race relations as you can, max out your combat and trading ranks, and build the largest economic empire that you can before you get bored.

I've been playing it off and on for about 8 months. I played X2: The Return (it's predecessor) for probably around 2 years. I backed up my X2 saves in case I decide to go back to continue in a custom universe that I made.

breaking it down by Category (fps,rpg,...) and subsection if required (solo/mp...)

FPS - Single Player - Half Life 2 (last year, best of category), Bioshock (new, good, mega eye candy)

FPS - Multiplayer - BF2

RPG - ARPG - Oblivion (this year, best of category), Fable-The lost chapters.

RPG - Traditional - Neverwinter Nights 2 (last year)

Space Combat - X3 (last year, best of category, EPIC, great eye candy)

Racing - simulation - GTR2 (last year, best of category, very expandable), DiRt (new, rally focused, good game)

Racing - arcade - Need for Speed Most Wanted (last year)

RPG: Baldur's Gate 2, if you didn't try it... it's like the best game ever period.

FPS: Half-Life 2. Best game ever. Well for different reasons than BG2.

RTS: Starcraft still reigns IMO Medieval II Total War is a nice experience, at least graphically.

I'm not sure because I've only ever plyed friends but I think I am actually totally elite at the battles in rome total war, I can own anything (i beat my friends 2 on 1 with no difference in the power of armies)