The player should have their characters climb, swing, jump, tumble and flip at every opportunity. Swordplay should be flashy too. Players will have to use their brains - try to anticipate their opponents' moves and surprise them with some of their own. They should use disarms, ripostes, parries, and feints. If a character can disarm his foe rather than kill him, so much the better.
Some characters have a reputation for wanton violence and cruelty.
Leave that to evil NPC's, you are supposed to be heroes. Besides, it makes financial sense to ransom prisoners rather than killing them. Of course if the main attraction for you is the sort of adventure that you go on a killing spree, then too bad for you. You are the one missing the chance of a hefty amount of booty. The name of the game is adventure.