Theme : Exploration :: Gameplay : Killing?

Here's something that throws me off a bit. This is a story about exploration, right? So we're repeatedly told. 

Gameplay we know about so far:
Driving around.
Light platforming.
Talking.
Scanning.
aaaaand...
Killing stuff.
(Killing wildlife.
Killing natives.
Killing AI splinter groups.
Killing ancient robots.)

Killing things made sense in MET for obvious reasons. But AI isn't even a military group. It's a civilian organisation.

So the question is, what will be the ratio between all these gameplay activities? At the end of ME: A, will my untested Ryder have killed hundreds of turians? Thousands of kett? And still call himself/herself an explorer, not a hardened veteran?

Now, yes, I understand that killing stuff is pretty much the go-to gameplay mechanic for just about every AAA game. We have Lara Croft casually mowing down literally hundreds of people in what the game assures us is a "realistic" coming of age story. Even L.A. Noire which featured non-combat interactivity had the main protagonist gunning down hundreds in an otherwise hard-boiled detective game.

What I hope for is that Bioware handles this with some sense of nuance. Sure, I'm looking forward to fun gameplay as much as anyone. But it's about balance. We can't claim we're explorers if our primary plot-advancement mechanic involves no other option but killing.