On one hand, i would like to have some feats ...
On the other hand tho, the list you provided isnt really convincing ... i mean i know its just an example, but i honestly dont quite understand why even limit it ... from this list i would possibly end up with Skilled most of the time. :-/
Yes, i know that every Fighter and Barbarian would likely pick Great Weapon Master ... question is: So what?
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I gues it would be +1 from me ... but i wouldnt restrict it, if we would we would most likely end up with passive and dull choices, and then there is no point. :-/
I really think the game should offer a free feat to all characters at level one. Not a stat increase, but a feat of some sort, maybe even from a select list. Something to add flavor to the character and change it up a little.
I'm guessing there's data on certain feats that don't get selected that often. Those are the type of feats that should be available for free at level one. They're nice for flavor, but it's typically hard to justify taking them in place of better mechanical options.
Seems like JandK is operating from the premise that developers can (and in this case should) limit OP options that players would otherwise practically always choose, if removing those options makes the game more flavorful and encourages the exploration of different options. I agree; players shouldn't always be responsible for self-limiting themselves. I assume that @JandK's list isn't complete; I could probably go through the 5e feats list and add 5+ more that are rarely picked.
It's also partially a balance thing, similar to why Point Buy exists. Playing in a party where another person is just so much more powerful can be disheartening. Combat feats are almost always applicable, but things like Actor, Athlete, Dungeon Delver, Linguist are fairly specialized and so your character might not often, if ever, really have the time to shine. However, people could really want such feats for added roleplay if they think those feats tie into the character's background, personality, and/or skills.
Perhaps, instead of a dedicated select list, each Background (and/or Class?) could come with a smaller list of applicable feats. This way they'd tie more into the backstory/training of your character, rather than arbitrarily choosing a feat because the game tells you to.
