History Main / RPGsEqualCombat

[[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant And no, we don't mean rocket propeller guns, nor their use in games.]] That would be cool if the [=RPGs=] (games) have literal [[GunsOfFiction RPGs (rocket launchers)]] in them.

[[JustForFun/IThoughItMeant And no, we don't mean rocket propeller guns, nor their use in games.]]

* ''VideoGame/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!"

* Creator/TellTaleGames tend to do this. They will feature the occasional fight but the game is mostly interactive story and roleplay.

* ''VideoGame/Fallout4'' on the other hand pushes straight into "shoot first, ask vague questions when the story tells you to". Stealth becomes a lot harder to even do as you need to be at least level 38 to max out your "Sneak" perk (skill points are not in the game) and then find the rest of the stuff to actually be able to sneak around better. You can't talk your way out of boss fights as easily and some can't let you do that at all.
** Even the DLC do this: ''Nuka-World'''s good ending is solely slaughtering the entirety of the raiders that inhabit the theme park.

* It's possible to go through ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' without killing ''anything''. Every monster and boss can be either fought or negated in a different manner, turning every enemy into a PuzzleBoss to one degree or another. [[spoiler:In fact, going into the game with this trope in mind will get you a bad ending.]]

* It's possible to go through ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' without killing ''anything''. Every monster and boss can be either fought or negated in a different manner, turning every enemy into a PuzzleBoss to one degree or another. [[spoiler:In fact, going into the game with this trope in mind either nets you the Neutral end if you decide to change your tactics, or the Genocide/No Mercy end if you want to keep hacking and slashing.]]

** [[CompletelyMissingThePoint What would you do with XP when you're dead?]]

** ''VideoGame/TheNamelessMod'' wisely follows this design philosophy. In fact, ''VideoGame/DeusEx'' had five required kills (though all are commonly [[SequenceBreaking skipped by hardcore players]].) ''The Nameless Mod'' has none.
** ''VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution'' awards a lot more XP for sneaking around enemies unnoticed and peacefully solving the quests instead of rushing into combat all-out. Though the non-Director's Cut version does have unavoidable, full face-to-face boss fights; a stealth or non-combat character can have a hell of a time with those.
* ''{{VideoGame/Strife}}'' was one of the first First-person Shooters to include RPGElements, but managed to avert this trope. In addition to being able to enhance the player character's abilities, it also included [=NPCs=] that you could talk to, as well as MultipleEndings. And even then, ability upgrades weren't obtained by killing enemies for ExperiencePoints, but instead were obtained over the course of the story. Namely, these came in the form of training sessions and biotech implants which became available one by one as you advanced in the main storyline.

* ''VideoGame/Fallout4'' on the other hand pushes straight into "shoot first, ask vague questions when the story tells you to". Stealth becomes a lot harder to even do as you need to be at least level 38 to max out your "Sneak" perk (no more skills) and then find the rest of the stuff to actually be able to sneak around better. You can't talk your way out of boss fights as easily and some can't let you do that at all.

* ''VideoGame/CallOfCthulhu2018'' Averted, and with good reason; you're a mere human with a few dozen cantrips. Your enemies are EldritchAbominations whose weakest mooks could swat you to death. When you're not dealing with humans or fishmen, the best way to 'win' an encounter is to run and hide for exp.

* It's possible to go through ''VideoGame{{Undertale}}'' without killing ''anything''. Every monster and boss can be either fought or negated in a different manner, turning every enemy into a PuzzleBoss to one degree or another. [[spoiler:In fact, going into the game with this trope in mind either nets you the Neutral end if you decide to change your tactics, or the Genocide/No Mercy end if you want to keep hacking and slashing.]]

* It's possible to go through ''{{Undertale}}'' without killing ''anything''. Every monster and boss can be either fought or negated in a different manner, turning every enemy into a PuzzleBoss to one degree or another.

** This holds true even for ''[[VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas New Vegas]]''. 10 INT and 10 CHR is just as much as a GameBreaker as carrying around 20 Epic weapons, and a good portion of the stuff you find has non-combat value.

** Making pure combat viable involves a lot of house rules and removing a lot of mechanics (meaning such games are more a custom homebrew than a ''[[Franchise/TheWorldOfDarkness World of Darkness]]'' game). In the rules-as-written game it's not really possible, because serial murder is the second worst sin on the morality scale and your character will quickly become insane and then an NPC. Even just intentionally using violence as a problem-solving tool will drop you fairly low and drive you insane fairly quickly.

** Making pure combat viable involves a lot of house rules and removing a lot of mechanics (meaning such games are more a custom homebrew than a ''Franchise/WorldOfDarkness'' game). In the rules-as-written game it's not really possible, because serial murder is the second worst sin on the morality scale and your character will quickly become insane and then an NPC. Even just intentionally using violence as a problem-solving tool will drop you fairly low and drive you insane fairly quickly.

** Making pure combat viable involves a lot of house rules and removing a lot of mechanics (meaning such games are more a custom homebrew than a WorldOfDarkness game). In the rules-as-written game it's not really possible, because serial murder is the second worst sin on the morality scale and your character will quickly become insane and then an NPC. Even just intentionally using violence as a problem-solving tool will drop you fairly low and drive you insane fairly quickly.

* ''{{Strife}}'' was one of the first First-person Shooters to include RPGElements, but managed to avert this trope. In addition to being able to enhance the player character's abilities, it also included [=NPCs=] that you could talk to, as well as MultipleEndings. And even then, ability upgrades weren't obtained by killing enemies for ExperiencePoints, but instead were obtained over the course of the story. Namely, these came in the form of training sessions and biotech implants which became available one by one as you advanced in the main storyline.

* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' games avert this trope by tying all EXP gain to the use of skills and rewarding levels after a certain number of skill level up points have been earned. What this means in practice is that a Warrior character who smashes everything that moves with an axe, a Mage who makes extensive use of charms to make others do his dirty work for him, and a Thief who sneaks around and robs people blind will all level up at roughly the same rate.
** The bulk of the series is combat related, though, so if you level too much in a non-combat skill your opponents can become too much for you to handle due to LevelScaling.
** 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]]) to aid in combat 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.

Some pen-and-paper RPG designers, however, maintain 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 an elaborate 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 at all, since it is unlikely any physical confrontation will happen.

* ''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 violence. Unfortunately, at least 6 mandatory boss fights and 2 encounters with mooks would needs to be finished in order to complete the 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 hero. Contrary to popular belief, the infamous sewers section has no actual unavoidable fights and both final stages is on 99%(cause 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, do some platforming, talk to a lot of characters and runaway/hide from enemies if playing as an diplomacy- or stealth-oriented hero. Contrary to popular belief, the infamous sewers section has no actual unavoidable fights and both final stages is on 99%(cause 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, 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 bosses) beatable by sneaking.