Races should be different and yes it should be natural that you orc mage will be dumber then a high elf even if he tries his damndest, especially if the high-elf also ties his damndest. The more radical the differences between the various races, the better, and we should do EVERYTHING in order to make that happen, including racial speels, skills, and ability scores. In fact, we should bring back NEGATIVE ability adjustments as well, and the ASI adjustments shouldn't be re-arrangable, except for maybe the half elves. The race system should become MORE rigid, not less so. Back in BG2, we had certain classes locked to certain races and the limitations of the races actually defined who they were. The racial system in current D&D is way too individualistic and fluid, and it gives people the illusion that non-human races are basically just humans with exotic body party and shin colours.
Everything about this is just horrible, I'm sorry. It only leads to an unfun and unimaginative experience where every race is nothing but a stereotype of itself.
There is a reason if most games are moving away from these kind of "features", and it's because they are just arbitrary limitations that says nothing about the world and the game. D&D is giving all races floating stats. Pathfinder 2ed (which have a better idea) gives static bonuses and floating bonuses which in the end brings every race to be able to do everything, putting an orc wizard on pair with an high elf wizard.
If I'm playing an orc shaman (reflavour of a druid or a cleric) that lives by worshipping the gods of nature, spent his life studying ways to heals his army and preparing magics to unleash the power of nature against his foes, you can bet I want it to be good as a wood elf druid.
As I suggested before, races are not defined by numbers. Races are defined by their unique features, like dark vision, breathing fire, or being fast learners.
And by doing so the game loses a lot of flavor, just to please the minmaxers who come with terrible excuses for why all races should be the same mechanically.
