My point is that the game, as designed, is MEANT to be played nonviolently. You are literally thrown into a world of goofy grinning loveable dopes and killing any of them feels like kicking a puppy.
It would be like if you were thrown into the world of Disney and Apu and Goofy tried to stop you so you could kill them or you could impress them with your juggling act. And then the boss is Donald and you could spend 20 turns letting him chase you around and tire himself out then you yell back at him until you out-quack him rather than just straight up killing him. Most of Undertale's more interesting interactions are figuring out the combinations of conversation options to send people home without killing them.
It's also a bit like nonlethal in Metal Gear Solid. Nonlethal is where all the gameplay is, all the benefits accrue to a nonlethal player. There is no point where nonlethal is a harder or less interesting way to play. Because the gunplay is horrible and the game is designed so that tranqs are freakishly overpowered, it's just better to play it nonlethal stealthy.
Except here, there is no point to a lethal playthrough that isn't genocide. Any ending where you killed someone is going to be unsatisfying because the game puts every story egg in the basket of making friends and liking these goofballs and the endings where you kill people leave them unhappy. Plus, you get essentially two of the game's three major endings knocked out in one go if you do it pacifist. And a genocide run actually changes the story up considerably to where you are a psychotic, silent, creepy monster, kicking puppies and murdering children (And requires you to grind.).
out of him. That'll teach him for having an imperfect grasp of behavior and emotions!
