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You certainly can make systems that work in both RP and non-RP settings, so I am not saying this is an impossible goal. But there are a few choices a game designer makes that are so powerful they do add and eliminate the usefulness of certain concepts or systems.
The simplist way I have ever found to explain the vast differences between a full RP game and the others is by comparing them in pseudo-mathmatic style.
If a game is non based on RP what you have is something like this:
X is the number of commands a player can issue
Y is the number of settings, objects, monsters, items in the game
Z is the number of political, social, religious, or other groupings/concepts
So in a way you can say that any player has X*Y*Z options to pusue. This number might be pretty large, really big even, but it is a finite thing.
RP is infinite because it is driven by the complexity that is called a human being. All the emotions, drives, history, thoughts, inner needs, and a lot of other things that go into making us the unique creatures we all are. The tricky part is that RP encompases the X*Y*Z code into itself, it is infinite after all so that makes sense.
A focus on RP brings a lot of complete reversals in logic, things that would be laughed at are admired, and it works both ways. In an RP game it is perfectly logical to keep using the crossbow that you got from your Mentor even when a more powerful weapon becomes available. In a game about points this is beyond stupid and might bar you from ever advancing beyond the beginning of the game.
But all styles are valid, people should play in a way that makes them happy as long as it does not overly make others unhappy. I love obnoxious Characters, I ban rude Players. I added this paragraph to reduce any potential flame activity.
A.T
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