Engine Selection - Your Opinion

So, I have been out of the loop with my coding/scripting as of late and I want to get back into trying to make games. I currently have A6 and don't mind it. Now the problem comes in the fact I know there are alot of engines and alot of differing views on what is good and bad. What I would like is for anyone to give me your opinion on what you think would be best with my description below.

I have experience in coding, mostly C# and Java as of late, and coding doesn't scare me. I would like an engine that I can quickly put things together and start evolving my idea's (which is why I loved A6). Also, I really have no desire to shell out more then 200US as this is more of a hobby at the moment.

I am sorry if this is in the wrong area, but it didn't seem fitting for tools. Please move if needed.

And thanks to anyone who responds.

A7 is a good engine.. as good as A6 used to be. And as most game creators are all waiting for the Unity for Windows to come.. u can give that also a try i guess.

Try Torque!

A6 and A7 are great engines for beginners. If you are an experienced programmer you already know that Acknex allows you to have a full game prototype running in 1-2 weeks (or so).
There are other engines that get the job done as well, but I've never worked with one that allows me to quickly prototype and see if my game idea is worth something or not.

I read about Unity and I am intrigued by it. I have tried the torque demo's, but haven't located a trial to actually create anything. Plus there appears to be alot of negativity towards it.

Neoaxis was another one I looked at but it seems to still need alot of work and documentation.

I am planning on trying A7 and seeing where it goes, just want to try more then one to get a good idea.

Thanks for the feedback. Anything else?