Dragonborn are that race that in Appearance, Lore, Stats and support got shafted hard from 4e to 5e.
its funny, WOTC seems to insist ont hem even if the oldschool fanbase hates them (for stupid, pearl clutching reasons),but WOTC insists on making them terrible and stick out like a sore thumb.
I guess theyre too much of a reminder of the BAD (read: better than 5e) edition
Much as I'm not a particular fan of 5E, I do think that even as an old-school player it's worth defending against the previous edition. Much as I'm not a fan of the previous edition, I will happily admit that it was easily the best balanced and most cohesive rule-set to ever come out under the D&D banner. It threw out a lot of previous sacred cows, and the game play was for the better because of it. The problem I, and many other D&D fans had with was that it changed the underlying tone and systems to the point that for many of us it didn't scratch the D&D itch. It felt too different for people who wanted to play D&D rather than simply try a new tactical RPG to really get into it. The greatest steak in the world still won't satisfy a craving for sushi.
Personally, I think the main reason dragonborn are there is because the second D stands for Dragons so they wanted a draconic PC type. As for older players disliking them--and I have to admit that I'm not a fan--there are a number of reasons behind it. Part of it is that they simply don't fit the aesthetic many of us grew up associating with D&D. They look more like a character from an anime than from a Robert E. Howard or Fritz Leiber story. Personally, I think they work pretty well in Eberron, not as well in Forgotten Realms, and not at all in Greyhawk, but other peoples' mileage may differ. There's also the fact that many of us are biased against anyone wanting to play a dragon character because so many people who played draconic PCs in the old days played homebrewed overpowered characters that stole everyone else's thunder.
As for abilities and support, I think part of it is simply that fewer people have an idea of what dragonborn really are. We have almost a century of lore for Tolkien elves and dwarves--and they are extensions of ideas that go back millennia. Dragonborn are new, and they don't fit neatly into any existing mythology the same way. Tieflings don't have the same problem to the same degree because they already fit into the existing mythologies. Wizard with demon blood? Merlin. On the plus side, it's something that will self-correct. As the old-school ages out, those players who are more comfortable with the newer aesthetic will come to dominate so it won't be a problem in future.
