So:
Either they feel like people, and you feel bad about hurting them - so not hurting them and missing lot of gold and xp but feeling good about yourself, or hurting them and getting a lot of gold and xp but feeling like crap, is a tough choice. In which case everything is ok, and this whole argument is stupid.
Or they don't feel like people and there is no logical reason to not take their stuff, so devs shouldn't care if player can amass enough wealth to buy skillbooks etc. without stealing. In which case, this whole argument is stupid.
Wrong on both accounts.
I don't kill them because I want to see their stories. I'm really hoping the game isn't just a linear walk through the areas, which unfortunately your comment makes it sound like. Second, I don't seem to need that experience or that cash. Robbing all that's nailed down sounds really tedious and for no gain. I'm already hauling around more equipment than I can count and that I have no use for, because there's nothing to buy. I mean yeah sure, there probably is some good stuff to buy, but I haven't bothered looking because I haven't needed to.
So again, no, to me the game hasn't really presented any hard choices so far. Not to engage in even more tedium is a really simple choice.
