The point is not that the data is meaningless.
I didn’t intend to imply that it was.
If there were a lot of Half-Orc Wizards despite the fact that they are completely lacking in synerygy it would have been a sign that they were extremly popular.
The point is that the data is muddied somewhat and that needs to be taken into account, and it is not just overall popularity that we need to consider.
All I will say to that is, we must also consider the possibility that these options are popular because they’re iconic, not because they’re the most mechanically powerful. After all, champion fighter and standard human are the most popular race and class, and
@BadEye stated multiple times that the subclasses at least stay the same when accounting for people who have everything available purchased. So, I have a hard time accepting without challenge the idea that what is popular is popular due to efficacy.
And as I've been saying throughout it would be ridiculous to cut halflings without cutting the less popular and less thematically identifiable gnomes. And it would be ridiculous to cut both the small races at the same time. The reason half-orcs can be cut fairly easily is that they are not only unpopular but there are other candidates that can rival them for their niche - and indeed are doing so without being in the PHB.
Yeah half-orc I think has value in terms of being mixed race with negative connotations in the past. YMMV, but I know a lot of folks who appreciate the PHB status of such an option.
What we should really do is cut out the subraces. If we're cutting out the ability score bonuses they're somewhat redundant anyway as they mostly exist to spread around that extra point or two. Furthermore, if lots of people are playing non PHB races anyway, then the distinction between Mountain Dwarf and Hill Dwarf or Prairie Elfs and Transitional-Taiga-Tundra-zone Elf becomes even less important.
So we cut down the page count of each race and have 25 races in the PHB. Perhaps even suggest some themes for world building.
Classic: Greyhawk AD&D races
Fallen World: Nentir Vale
Gothic: Ravenloft
Magepunk: Eberron.
While you could probably have fewer subraces, if you ditch elven subraces Drow goes back to full race, for example. Some, like dwarves and gnomes, could be combined, perhaps with a couple “choose this or this” features included. As long as I can play a forest gnome.
See this? This right here? The complete mischaracterization of what I said? This is really, really frustrating.
Please pay attention to context or put me on ignore. I'm sick and tired of having to correct other people's false assumptions over and over again.
I DO NOT CARE IF THERE ARE HALFINGS IN THE GAME!!!!!!!
I think they should go hang out in the monster manual to make room for more interesting concepts.
I DO NOT CARE IF THERE ARE HALFLINGS IN THE GAME!!!!!!
No one ever,
ever, remotely takes seriously a statement of indifference from someone who can’t stop talking about the thing they supposedly “don’t care about” and heatedly arguing about it.
People want to play rock gnome tinkerers, but not really to play Dr. Doolittle as forest gnomes (and halfling rangers are more popular than gnome ones).
Gonna need some evidence in order to take this wild claim seriously. I know you’ll get a lot more fuss from every gnome player I know for ditching forest gnomes than for ditching rock gnomes.