I've been seeing a lot of comments on how ground effects make the game "not feel like DnD", especially since the basic elemental cantrips in 5e have no area effects.
IMO, the game should absolutely deviate from the 5e rules as written, if doing so enhances the game by making combat more interesting. It is a lot more interesting for cantrips to be more than just different flavors of 60-90% chance to hit for 1dx damage. 5e started on the right track by adding additional effects to ray of frost and acid splash. In a tabletop game cantrip side effects might bog down the flow by creating a new area effect to track every round, but here it becomes a versatile tool that gives the wizard the consistent tactical control they should always have. Especially at low levels, it is nice to not need to rest the party for the wizard's sake after every moderately difficult encounter. The very niche spell in tabletop, Create Water, is here viable to bring to any combat.
Then there is the issue of barrels. I'm not saying I wouldn't like to see an adjustable barrel frequency setting. I will say that in a proper goblin horde camp I expect to see some sort of exploitable combat option that isn't innate to PC or monster stat blocks. If goblins have large barrels of flammable liquid, they will surely use them to set the ground on fire. I don't expect to see the same tactic employed by gnolls or druids or drow or githyanki. Don't get me wrong, it is upsetting when a goblin from an otherwise tough but balanced encounter tosses a bomb that is essentially a fireball, deals more damage than anything I've seen yet in the game (56 damage over 3 characters), and drops half of my party. However, it's not so bad when I can reload from my last save.
Ground effects give incentive to keep PCs and foes moving. Terrain can be exploited more readily and regularly. I'll grant that movement can be trying - like when your PC moves 6m to get to a space 2m away, triggering 2 OAs on the way. Still, I find a fight with worgs and bears and goblins goes from exciting to deadly when the room ignites, then to satisfying when some tactful dipping and frosting turns the tables.
