I’ve always looked at D&D rules the way Captain Barbossa looks at the Pirate’s Code: “They’re more what you’d call guidelines than actual rules.” When you’re playing with strangers, the rules are important—they give everyone a fair starting point and keep things running smoothly. But when you’re with friends, it’s a different vibe. The group’s shared values and understanding naturally take over, so the rules can be bent or ignored as needed to keep the fun going.
About the whole “race to species” change—I think it’s a solid move. If you think about it, species is a biological concept based on science, while race is more of a social construct with no real genetic basis. Using “species” makes way more sense when you’re talking about orcs, dwarves, elves, humans, and so on. They’re fundamentally different creatures, not just variations of the same thing. Plus, “race” carries some real-world baggage that doesn’t belong in a fantasy game meant to spark creativity and bring people together. So yeah, I’d say Wizards of the Coast made the right call here, especially if they’re trying to make D&D more inclusive and accessible while still keeping it true to its core fantasy roots.