I'm sure there will be mods to revert it, so in that sense it is optional.
Sure, but I'd rather not have to resort to mods, especially since I was planning to be a half-drow sorcerer for my first playthrough. Those mods likely won't be there day 1, so I'm gonna have to play something else. If this is just an optional toggle then everyone wins.
You can still play a half drow sorcerer though. If anything that combo will be better now
I could, yes, but I would be missing out on an attribute point that I previously would have had. I don't want to do that, so I think I'll play a zariel tiefling paladin instead, since they're basically unaffected by the changes this new system brings. I'll wait until a mod comes out that reverts to the old system to play any of the nerfed/heavily changed races, unless this new system is optional, of course.
You get medium armor profincy and polarms instead. Much better than 1 attribute point
