I understand what you mean by mandatory, but I still don't like it. It should be a choice: give a combat option or a negotiation option, for example. Players who like combat can take that option, players who don't can take the other. I don't really see the point in forcing all players down a certain route whether they like it or not: play the game the way you like, and let me play the way I like, the latter of which means mostly avoiding combat. That IMHO is the essence of a true RPG, and the way I choose to play it shouldn't be anyone else's concern.
I'd also view the "fight the orcs or let everyone be slaughtered" as a false dichotomy: that isn't much of a choice.
