TLDR: 5E isn't supposed to have this much crap on the ground. Reduce it. Add saving throws. Stop breaking the balance.
The worst part is the fact that they added a bunch of extra stuff that I wasn't even aware of to begin with.
Why did solid stone beneath a character catch on fire from Fire Bolt when I was fighting skeletons in the crypt? Did I throw it at their feet? Pretty sure I didn't.
Why does acid reduce my AC by 2 when I'm standing in it? Does it dissolve my boots away? Does the rulebook say this anywhere? Pretty sure it doesn't.
5e doesn't have these rules; they should not be in this game.
I'm not sure why the devs believe that these make the game more fun, but they don't.
They were concerned about turns/combat being too slow if you had to use a full action to Disengage/etc., but it doesn't. I find myself trying to maneuver around these silly area hazards even more time-consuming than deciding to Disengage or not.
A flat damage buff to Fire Bolt is fine; Eldritch Blast feels good as is, so would Fire Bolt. It doesn't need a DoT or a Surface Hazard attached to it.
When I throw a Fireball, sure, ignite the whole room for a round for all I care; everything flammable better burn, 'cause that's why I chose it/decided to use it.
But a Cantrip?
Please.
Remove ground effects from all Cantrips and spells unless otherwise stated by the Rulebook.