History Main / RPGsEqualCombat

* ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'' Avert this most of the time. Both experience and money is gained through plot triggers and quest solving rather than fighting. Several quests give you more XP for being stealthy or non-violent and there are very little quests available in general that has no solution other than a violent one. Unfortunately at least 6 mandatory boss fights needs to be finished in order to complete main story and they will require an actual confrontation. But aside from those rare situations most of the time the player will just explore the world, pick locks, hack the computers, search something, do some platforming, talk to a lot of characters and runaway/hide from enemies if playing as an diplomacy- or stealth-oriented character. Contrary to popular belief, the infamous sewers section has no actual unavoidable fights and both final stages is on 99%(cause they have bosses) beatable by sneaking.

* ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'' Avert this most of the time. Both experience and money is gained through plot triggers and quest solving rather than fighting. Several quests give you more XP for being stealthy or non-violent and there are very little quests available in general that has no solution other than a violent one. Unfortunately at least 6 mandatory boss fights needs to be finished in order to complete main story and they will require an actual confrontation. But aside from those rare situations most of the time the player will just explore the world, pick locks, hack the computers, search something, talk to the characters and runaway/hide from all enemies if playing as an diplomacy- or stealth-oriented character. Contrary to popular belief, the infamous sewers section has no actual unavoidable fights and both final stages is on 99%(cause they have bosses) beatable by sneaking.

* ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'' ''tried'' to avert this, it really did; both experience and money is gained through plot triggers and quest solving rather than fighting. Several quests give you more XP for being stealthy or non-violent. However, [[strike: sometimes]] most of the time you've just gotta throw down and kill something to complete the quest, and the last stages of the game are straight-up brawlfests complete with evil bosses who will crush a non-combat character.

** Its inspiration, the AtelierSeries, also holds true to this. The point of the games are to successfully operate an alchemy lab, and you basically dungeon crawl solely to get ingredients or field-test creations (direct combat is left up to the overpowered mercenaries you can hire for protection.) A couple of games in the series reversed this for a standard "save the world" plot, but they were the exceptions rather than the norm.

** Even in the games in the ''VideoGame/RuneFactory'' series which don't use this system, although you still need to fight to progress in the story, there's a huge emphasis on non-combat activities such as farming, raising monsters, crafting, and social interaction with townspeople. Given the series started as a ''HarvestMoon'' spinoff, this isn't terribly surprising.

* ''PlanescapeTorment'', where there are plenty of ''potential'' combat situations, but only about three people that absolutely have to be fought and one of those is part of the tutorial.

** ''TheNamelessMod'' wisely follows this design philosophy. In fact, ''VideoGame/DeusEx'' had five required kills (though all are commonly [[SequenceBreaking skipped by hardcore players]].) ''TheNamelessMod'' has none.

* ''VideoGame/DinsCurse'' is a rare case of this in the {{Roguelike}} genre. The Rogue class has the Trickster specialization, which gives you both stealth and the ability to SetAMookToKillAMook. Since quests only require certain monsters to die (and not you killing them), and you get experience points for disarming traps and completing quests, a Rogue can progress nicely through the game with a minimum of direct fighting, mainly using trap and quest XP to level up while having monsters kill other monsters for you.

** This trope does heavily stick out in the Mages Guild (or equivalent) questlines though: being set in universities or research institutions, NPC mages are often shown doing weird and wonderful things and investigating the fabric of the universe, but for obvious reasons the player is left unable to actually do anything with magic other than fight or buff using other people's spells. One of the weirdest examples of this is in ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'' with Arniel Gane; the Winterhold mage, Alteration professor, and researcher of the Dwemer tries to figure out what happened to them and recreate it. [[spoiler:He does]]. Later you can summon him (or rather, [[spoiler:his shade]]) and use it in combat. A three-part quest about the fascinating question on how the Dwemer disappeared spent running errands and combating Dwemer mechs only to get a (admittedly useful) Conjuring spell.

** This trope does heavily stick out in the Mages Guild (or equivalent) questlines though: being set in universities or research institutions, NPC mages are often shown doing weird and wonderful things and investigating the fabric of the universe, but for obvious reasons the player is left unable to actually do anything with magic other than fight or buff using other people's spells.

Of course, the way that character choice is expressed in rules-heavy [=RPGs=] is through your choice of character exerting a direct influence on how you are, and aren't, able to play the game. Since most computer games are primarily about combat, that character customization naturally boils down to choosing between different ways to kill things.

This is exacerbated if combat is the primary or sole source of ExperiencePoints, money, or other resources, so that ViolenceIsTheOnlyOption. But that's no problem, since there are MonstersEverywhere. However, it is possible that it is an actual legitimate RPG; it's just that everyone considers the [[PlayTheGameSkipTheStory plot a side benefit at best]].

So many [=RPGs=] do this, it's easier just to list the aversions.

Where other genres are concerned, this leads into RPGElements, which usually work exactly the same.

* Since most tabletop [=RPGs=] are still aimed at "action" genres, where combat is a common mode of conflict resolution by definition, and since combat is also supposed to be dangerous and exciting (yet also preferably "fair" so the players don't feel cheated if their character suffers appropriate consequences) and thus nothing to be passed over with just a couple of die rolls before moving on with the plot, games still tend to have combat systems that can easily be an order of magnitude or two more complex than their rules for resolving ''non''-combat challenges (which frequently ''are'' handled with just a die roll or two before moving on). This quite naturally tends to reinforce the impression that this trope is in effect regardless of how things actually work out at any individual gaming table in practice.
* However, some [=RPGs=]' creators avert this and state that putting a combat system distinct from the rest of the resolution system leads the players to rely mostly on fights (similarly, the presence of a magic system would hint the importance of supernatural forces in the verse). Most games with no focus on combat do solve conflicts of any nature the same way, be it a rough negotiation or a duel.Games like ''sweet agatha'' or ''breaking the ice'', focusing on investigation and romance respectively do not have such systems, since it is unlikely any physical confrontation will happen.

* The TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade and TabletopGame/VampireTheRequiem are supposed to be more about politics, intrigue, social interaction, background fluff and the internal struggles of its characters as they try to avoid becoming monsters, so combat is intended as more of a climactic experience, rather than an everyday occurence. A pure combat-built character generally wouldn't make it long in vampiric society without political allies to shield them from betrayal, at least in theory. In practice, many groups prefered to ditch the whole psychological horror aspect and play it as an action game instead.

* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' is mostly combat oriented, but you also get experience from discovering new areas, completing quests that don't involve combat such as most fishing and cooking dailies, gathering herbs and ore and surveying for archeology fragments.* One player infamously averted this and made it to the maximum level in vanilla [=WoW=] (Level 50) without ever killing anything or setting foot in a dungeon, opting only to gather materials, craft, explore, and do errand quests. The developers gave them a custom title "The Pacifist" as proof.

* ''PlanescapeTorment'', where there are exactly two people that absolutely have to be fought and one of those is part of the tutorial.

* Averted in ''{{Risus}}''. The majority of the (four-page) rulebook describes the all-important combat rules, and the Risus RPG really does equal combat. However, combat doesn't necessarily equal violence - possible combats described include playing chess, getting an unreliable vending machine to work, beating rush-hour traffic to stop the BigBad…
* ''TheDarkEye'''s commercially available adventure sets have experience gains for killing, but most points come from finishing the adventure (Not finishing it alive, but solving it). In the 3rd edition, most creatures had no experience rewards anymore, and in the 4th edition, players only get experience for seeing or dealing with a creature for the first time (like it's a new experience). The first edition was released in 1983.

* Averted in ''{{Rifts}}'', of all things. The experience tables list rewards for accomplishing goals or neutralizing threats, with no direct correlation between enemies killed and XP gained.
* In ''TheRiddleOfSteel'', characters have special stats called Spiritual Attributes. Five of these are selected at character creations, with the details filled out by the player (for instance, one Spiritual Attribute may be Drive: To rescue his daughter). Whenever an action contributes to the goal, temperament or ethics of a Spiritual Attribute, that Spiritual Attribute grows. They can be used to ways:

* The VampireTheMasquerade and VampireTheRequiem are supposed to be more about politics, intrigue, social interaction, background fluff and the internal struggles of its characters as they try to avoid becoming monsters, so combat is intended as more of a climactic experience, rather than an everyday occurence. A pure combat-built character generally wouldn't make it long in vampiric society without political allies to shield them from betrayal, at least in theory. In practice, many groups prefered to ditch the whole psychological horror aspect and play it as an action game instead.

* While not an aversion, the ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic II'' turned this trope into a plot point: [[spoiler:the Jedi masters see the Exile grow stronger in the Force by killing people, and claim this to be proof that the Exile has been turned into a walking wound in the Force.]]

* ''{{Recettear}}'' completely averts this in the core game aspect of running the store. Your Merchant level increases based on sucessful sales, nothing else. Played straight for the Dungeon-crawling aspect.

* ''EmbricOfWulfhammersCastle'' feels far more like an AdventureGame, or a TabletopGame in video game form, than anything else. Combat is limited to certain scenarios that are only unlocked later in the game; experience is mostly earned through interaction with the [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters game's many characters.]] To drive the point home, any actual fights are introduced with the message, "Negotiations have failed!"
* Creato/rTellTaleGames tend to do this. They will feature the occasional fight but the game is mostly interactive story and roleplay.

* In ''VideoGame/LiveALive'', combat is downplayed in the Wild West and Science Fiction chapters. Neither scenario includes any RandomEncounters or any opportunity for LevelGrinding. The Wild West chapter has a total of two player-controlled battles, and what little combat the Science Fiction chapter has takes place [[GameWithinAGame inside an arcade cabinet]].

* ''UltimaVII''; while the early games in the series were essentially the TropeMaker, ''The Black Gate'' focuses so much on dialogue and puzzle-solving that you can play 6-7 hours in before even encountering any combat, and then discover you have no idea how combat works in the game.
* While not an aversion, the second ''KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' game turned this trope into a plot point: [[spoiler:the Jedi masters see the Exile grow stronger in the Force by killing people, and claim this to be proof that the Exile has been turned into a walking wound in the Force.]]
* ''MightAndMagic'' games tend to play this trope very straight, but you could top level ten or so in the final installment without getting in a single fight. [[ObviousBeta This, of course, was unintentional]].
* ''{{Geneforge}}'', while strongly combat-oriented, isn't exactly combat-focused. The fourth game even allows for a PacifistRun, though it's described as unreasonably difficult. It's either less or more straight because there's no way to LevelGrind, so if you miss opportunities to level up by killing everything that moves, it'll be harder to kill the enemies in the next, tougher area of the game if you do resort to combat.

* ''AlphaProtocol'' gave you a good amount of EXP for sneaking past enemies, and also gave you EXP for hacking, lockpicking, and circuit breaking. There are also many bonuses and allies to be gained by besting a foe in combat but choosing to spare their life, though the game has been criticized for lulling players of pacifist or stealthy characters into a false sense of security prior to surprising them when [[BeefGate these elements evaporate upon the introduction of unavoidable boss battles]].
* ''VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'' ''tried'' to avert this, it really did; both experience and money is gained through plot triggers and quest solving rather than fighting. Several quests give you more XP for being stealthy or non-violent. However, [[strike: sometimes]] most of the time you've just gotta throw down and kill something to complete the quest, and the last stages of the game are straight-up brawlfests complete with evil bosses who will crush a non-combat character.
* In ''RuneFactory3'', while you still only gain experience towards leveling up from combat, everything else you do in the game also has a direct effect on your stats, be it fishing, farming, mining, cooking... even ''walking'' and ''sleeping'' will power you up in some way.
** Even in the games in the series which don't use this system, although you still need to fight to progress in the story, there's a huge emphasis on non-combat activities such as farming, raising monsters, crafting, and social interaction with townspeople. Given the series started as a ''HarvestMoon'' spinoff, this isn't terribly surprising.

* TellTaleGames tend to do this. They will feature the occasional fight but the game is mostly interactive story and roleplay.
* ''WorldOfWarcraft'' is mostly combat oriented, but you also get experience from discovering new areas, completing quests that don't involve combat such as most fishing and cooking dailies, gathering herbs and ore and surveying for archeology fragments.
** One player infamously averted this and made it to the maximum level in vanilla WoW (Level 50) without ever killing anything or setting foot in a dungeon, opting only to gather materials, craft, explore, and do errand quests. The developers gave them a custom title "The Pacifist" as proof.

* Played straight with many [[{{AllegedlyFreeGame}} free]] to play browser and mobile games having little more than a title screen and series of menus to tell its [[{{ExcusePlot}} story]], the only gameplay being the combat system.

* ''JadeEmpire'' gives you experience points for reading the book stands and scrolls found all over the game world. The yield from each read increases the more you've read before, with some prodigious sums at the end. There's even a gem you can equip that increases the bonus you get. You can essentially get massive levels from ''light reading''. Most of the time it not even essential information, just background setting material.

* While the monstrously popular ''[[DungeonsAndDragons D&D]]'' largely plays this straight, many new indie [=RPG=]s have been trying to avert it in claimed contrast with ''Dungeons & Dragons''. In recent years, there's been an RPG ([[http://www.atomicsockmonkey.com/products/di.asp Dead Inside]] by Atomic Sock Monkey Press) described as “reverse ''D&D''” and one where you help people in order to regrow your lost soul. Ironically, ''Dungeons & Dragons'' itself has had experience rewards for non-combative actions since the 1980s, longer than almost all of its competitors have even existed (though they typically only existed through the intervention of [[GameMaster Rule Zero]].)

* {{Pathfinder}} mostly follows D&D conventions (it is a spinoff of 3rd edition), granting experience rewards based on your "overcoming" a challenge, regardless of whether you did so through combat, stealth, diplomacy, etc. The Adventure Paths also have guidelines for what level a character should be at a certain point in the storyline, so the GM can dispense with experience entirely and just level the party when they get to the right story event.