So which version of energy resistance do you guys like best, the "ignore x amount" or the "1/2 damage" version?
I'd say without knowing any of the variables I prefer "Ignore X amount".
The reason is that if an attack deals no damage then any rider effects also don't trigger.
If you get hit by a RIME FROSTBITE, then "halving the damage" can only ever reduce the damage, while "ignoring X amount" has the potential to save you from all the debuffs too.
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If the question is about worldbuilding, then ignoring low levels of damage makes it possible to have fire-resistant creatures in fiery locations, cold-resistant creatures in places cold enough to do cold damage, etc. Halving the damage fails as a way for a creature to live there (unless you do the handwave of 'monsters don't need to use PC rules').
If the question is about what you want on your PC as a player, either is totally workable. Ignore X is simpler mental math for me while half damage will scale more easily at higher levels.
Having played 5e for two years, i honestly prefer resistance that ignore X amount of damage over those that halves them.
Why? Because you can have varying degree of resistance instead of halving everything. A creature that resist fire 5 is not the same as one that resist fire 15. It forces different kind of tactics.
For the first one, while i wouldn't throw a fireball at it if i had a better option, i would still feel like attempting it could be worthwhile. For, the second one however, i wouldn't attempt it outside of straight desperation.
Ignore X amount of damage is my preference.
I can think of advantages and disadvantages to both.
Advantage
Ignore X damage can prevent any damage.
1/2 damage scales as you level.
Disadvantage
Ignore X damage doesn't scale (or rarely that well).
1/2 damage, you still take damage.
Typically, for PCs ignore X amount of damage is better than reduce by half. At high level you can have ignore 20 damage, to get the same result from reduce by half they have to be dealing 40+ damage. Which is totally possible at high levels, but typically the things that will be able to do that much energy damage are spells. And a high level spell caster who is casting fireball for that much damage is a spell caster who isn't using their better spells to do things that would be far far worse. So I guess I just see it as a win either way.
At low levels the flat reduction is typically going to reduce your damage more than halving would.
In reality, if you know what you're getting into it's never a bad idea to get wands of resist energy and protection from energy (which is "better" than reduce by half). The main problem with protection from energy is against creatures that really go HAM on energy damage they tend to go through the ablative shield you have rather quickly.