What should the role of NPC guards be?

[Sepherum]

Reading over all the posts and all the ideas regarding pvp, SAD, Bounties, etc., I thought about the maybe overlooked role that NPC guards will play in PFO. Not the powerful Marshalls that will guard the safer areas, but the npc guard upgrades we read about. Can you upgrade a caravan to have guards included? How many and how strong? How about guards for a carriage transporting a non-combat orientated crafter PC? NPC guards for a construction site? With lootable goods and destroyable structures, even a large CC will need auxilliares considering RL responsibilities, IMHO. Perhaps a menu of different tiers/classes could be offered with an upkeep and/or equipment level cost associated with them. I recall that the guards in Stormwind were good enough to protect the king if a couple of us showed up to support them. This would be Horde attacking at 3am of course.

[DeciusBrutus]

I don't see a problem with allowing the settlement management to task their limited resources any way they wanted.

[Bringslite]

How about the higher lvl warrior type skill training hall the more complex the NPC guards that are available for hire.

I really think NPC guards should be available for all kinds of jobs. They would be there 24hrs a day and be more reliable than players. The never go AFK for hotpockets or potty breaks.

The downside is that AI guards will never be as smart as human players.

[Bluddwolf]

Sounds like Drones from EvE online. I don't have a problem with it to work that way, just wonder if a solo bandit could hire the same to attack caravans as well?

[Sepherum]

Bluddwolf wrote:

Sounds like Drones from EvE online. I don't have a problem with it to work that way, just wonder if a solo bandit could hire the same to attack caravans as well?

At least the wagons a bandit loads up with ill-gotten gains could have NPC guards of their own.