Is Combat always the default mode of interacting with the world?

No AAIE Update this week... Nothing new going on, at least not that I know of.

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I love fantasy RPG's.
I also really dig Sci fi games, even though I haven't had the chance to play all that many of them over the years.
The one thing I see repeatedly game after game is a similar theme of blowing shit up. D&D devotes a large portion of it's 5th edition hand book to combat. Not so much In a rules way, the  combat rules in the players hand book only range from page 189 to page 198. I mean more in theme. The idea of adventuring is couched in the  idea that there will be fighting. The  idea that there is magic is  tied to in the idea that many of the  spells are going to be dedicated to  damage dealing. The equipment pages contain  many mundane items, but the weapons get the awesome illustrations. The  New Starfinder book takes this even a bit further. It's Sci-fantasy  setting is  presented as a place where pretty much every one is armed to the teeth. The artwork is good for the most part, but I'm not sure there are any pictures where there's not at least one gun or sword sticking out somewhere.

Not that I have any  problem with any of that. One of my own games (AAIE) is expressly about marching under prepared characters towards a near sure and mostly inexplicable death.   In other words I'm no RPG soft hand. I like building a bad ass warrior to murder-hobo with as much as anyone does.

Though  lately, and it just might me getting old, I don't know.

This post was inspired by two products I saw today. The first a product new to me.
Blood and Bone:

Blood and Bone is a dark and gritty fantasy roleplaying game.
Play as a ragtag company of sellswords, a savage band of raiders, or a gang of outlaws and thieves in the unique and deadly world of Ossura.
Create rich characters, driven by human desires in stories fueled by war, intrigue, and exploration.

And  A game which has come through my  time lines a few times, but I have never actively pursued in any way.
Ryuutama: Natural Fantasy

The characters are travelers in a world without classical fantasy wizards and warriors. Instead, the characters are minstrels, merchants, healers, hunters, artisans, farmers and nobles who decide (or were fated) to leave their towns and explore the world. Using a light rules system based on polyhedral dice where the randomness in results leads to more story development, Ryuutama provides a framework for travel-focused stories fun for adults and enjoyable for all ages. 

I'm not knocking either game they both look very good however, one of those games would have gotten my money instantly  five years ago. One of them might get my money today. They are not the same game. Both games look good, but my perspective is quickly changing.

The nice things about  RPG's is that the  group is free to explore what ever themes make the  game fun for them. I have run D&D games where the party has not thrown a die in anger for the whole session, and those games were still fun. I'm looking for  games where adventure is the theme, but wherein combat is not the default method of interacting with the world.


(Feel free to click those links ... I don't do the  affiliate thing)