So it’s interesting. There is direct conflict, but that is not the only option. Basically there is one contested ‘area’. Sometimes it is literally an area on the map, others it is an abstract faction or supply one. So each turn at the end phase there is a combat that occurs. It’s strictly deterministic, how many troops did you deploy this turn (which are removed to your supply, and must be built back in future turns) plus any card/ intrigue bonuses. At the end of all turns, you compare scores. Highest score wins, and gets the reward. However the game also gives lesser rewards for second and (in 4 player games) 3rd place. So it is not winner take all, and investing in the combat usually provides some reward. Additionally most spaces that contribute to the combat have some kind of other effect. For example collecting spice in one of the 3 desert locations allows you to deploy troops. The primary benefit is the spice, but the secondary is allowing you to participate. So playing into combat doesn’t exclude you from other options. In fact you can acquire most resources while playing into combat from at least one space.
I hadn’t actually thought about that during the game, but it is a clever choice really. That way you rarely get locked out of some benefit from playing troops, and playing troops does not exclude you from accomplishing other goals. It’s pretty smart! Even if you came in second, and don’t get the headline reward, you never feel like you lost out by competing. I participated in every combat, but only won 3 I think? Yet at the end of the day even when Bruce pulled something out after my turn and took over a combat round, I didn’t feel like my turn was wasted. Only one of the combat rounds was really so critical, and it was the second to last one (turn 8) which had two victory points for grabs. Realistically the winner of that battle would win the game the next turn most likely. Both Bruce and I invested heavily, but I had the intrigue cards to overcome, and ultimately win on the next turn. That was the only time, of 9 turns, that I felt the combat victory was actually so critical. Otherwise playing for second was a totally viable option that I did several times.
Other than that there is conflict, but it tends to be of the ‘You just went to the space I really wanted/ needed to go to’ type. Which, you know, is very different than my dudes punching your dudes in the face. I may have screwed you over for this round by taking the fremen water space, but you can just go to the Bene Geserit instead. And, sure, if I am angling for that alliance token, you getting there before me may impact my strategy, but that’s what makes it interesting.
So even though your group may not be so into direct conflict, I think this probably has a good chance not to trigger those negative angles for you. At least that is my feeling from a 3 player game. @Brooski can talk more about 4 player, which is supposedly much more cutthroat it sounds, but mostly from a blocking actions perspective.