Should RPG’s Be So Fighting-centric?

There’s a new editorial at RPGDot that discusses at length the standard that RPG’s have adopted that the only way to advance usually is through fighting. Have a look:

It’s been proven you can design a RPG without killing (a lot of superhero RPGs only have you ‘knock out’ an opponent by default… killing is optional). However, could you create one without combat? Yes. You can. You can design an RPG based around diplomats, doctors, firefighters, and negotiators. With a certain type of gamer this would work.

But would this approach work in a CRPG? Not likely. Perhaps in a game like the Sims… but for the dedicated masses of computer roleplayers I don’t believe so. People want to overthrow the dark overlord, beat his best warriors, spell-battle his greatest wizards. Less people want to work on usurping his political power base, severing his resource lines, and convincing his most powerful allies that what he is doing is wrong. Yes, there may be players who want to do that… but a CRPG has to appeal to the masses.