Trading unused abilities for feats and the like is always a bad idea.
As was said above, what about the fighter who doesn't want Heavy armor and wants to cash in Shield, Hvy/Med Armor? What about the guy with a double axe who wants to change out Shield Prof? How about the guy who decides not to specialize, can he get another ability to make up for it?
The problem is that in general a light armor fighter is just as good as a heavy armor one. Giving him the option to swap feats, just makes him better. The game is all about choices, if you choose not to cast divination spells, should you be allowed to replace them with other abilities? Probably not. Doing so runs into the worst thing ever in D&D history: The Powers books (or whatever they called those things). Paladins don't get good spells? Well swap that for Weapon Specialization. Don't ever use wands? Well swap that for a 1d6 hp instead of 1d4. It gets ugly and stupid pretty quick (its one of the reasons I stopped playing 2e-until we threw the books away).
Currently I'm playing an Elven Cleric of Selune. I don't wear heavy armor, I use a chain shirt and a buckler. My AC is the best in the party. My high Dex got around the need for heavy armors, and the increased mobility is very nice. Should I be able to swap MY heavy and medium armors out? No. I just chose not to use them. If I don't take Disable Device as a rogue it doesn't mean I should get something else to replace it. I can still use it, I just chose not to and must accept the consequences (be they Higher AC and less movement, or higher AC and a two handed weapon).
The only wizard/sorceror type I had that took a familiar ended up wishing he hadn't anyway. He was so paranoid about it being killed that he ended up hating that he took it. If he was allowed to swap a basically no gain ability (that is the risks roughly equal the gain) for an all gain one(like a feat), I don't see how that would be fair.
As was said above, what about the fighter who doesn't want Heavy armor and wants to cash in Shield, Hvy/Med Armor? What about the guy with a double axe who wants to change out Shield Prof? How about the guy who decides not to specialize, can he get another ability to make up for it?
The problem is that in general a light armor fighter is just as good as a heavy armor one. Giving him the option to swap feats, just makes him better. The game is all about choices, if you choose not to cast divination spells, should you be allowed to replace them with other abilities? Probably not. Doing so runs into the worst thing ever in D&D history: The Powers books (or whatever they called those things). Paladins don't get good spells? Well swap that for Weapon Specialization. Don't ever use wands? Well swap that for a 1d6 hp instead of 1d4. It gets ugly and stupid pretty quick (its one of the reasons I stopped playing 2e-until we threw the books away).
Currently I'm playing an Elven Cleric of Selune. I don't wear heavy armor, I use a chain shirt and a buckler. My AC is the best in the party. My high Dex got around the need for heavy armors, and the increased mobility is very nice. Should I be able to swap MY heavy and medium armors out? No. I just chose not to use them. If I don't take Disable Device as a rogue it doesn't mean I should get something else to replace it. I can still use it, I just chose not to and must accept the consequences (be they Higher AC and less movement, or higher AC and a two handed weapon).
The only wizard/sorceror type I had that took a familiar ended up wishing he hadn't anyway. He was so paranoid about it being killed that he ended up hating that he took it. If he was allowed to swap a basically no gain ability (that is the risks roughly equal the gain) for an all gain one(like a feat), I don't see how that would be fair.
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