I’m down with all this although I have always felt that the reason combat gets priority in most RPGs is because it is easier to model in a non-scripted way than conversation. It also feels like gameplay, in that it’s a learnable system that can deliver some comfy feedback loops.
But yeah, I yearn for the day when a broader range of interactions is consistently possible and I support all design ideas that go beyond the usual “bash 'em on the head/enter a scripted conversation tree” duality.