Dungeons and Dragons are rolling a new set of optional rules which allow you to ignore all your racial perks in exchange for an ability score of your choice and one free perk. Want your Orc to have +2 to intelligence and be Fey Touched? Go for it!

On one side, I can see players having the freedom to make their hobbit fighter without being bogged down by a negative strength score being a positive thing, on another side, when everybody is unique and special nobody is.

It's from a different media but imagine if one of the hobbits of Lord of the Ring was a brave and skilled warrior who fought shoulder to knee with Legolas. This would detract from hobbits being a jolly race without much in the way of fighting but with the new "origins" in Dungeons and Dragons, you can just say you have been raised by barbarians and be as good as any orc in smashing skulls.

I prefer the old ways but I'm old and bitter and what I know? Now get out of my dungeon!