If you don't want to flee, then don't, but it is an option.
Not being able to resolve conflict to your satisfaction in the manner that you wish doesn't make it not an option. Sometimes people in a violent rage don't calm down if you run away and come back a minute later.
Why can't they use what? The system that is dependent on the situation, NPC and reputation?
The system was used in D:OS. In D:OS, at the beginning of the game, stealing could trigger combat, depending on the NPC and situation.
