With the upcoming sieges, I wanted to clarify the plan for using NPCs and balancing. Again, their main purpose is to balance fights, and also to spice up small-scale engagements in case of a lack of numbers for the siege.
If enough players are logged in within one small area (e.g. around the Arch), NPCs simply will not be used, due to lag and dropped frames they cause even in small amounts.
If NPCs are used, they will always join the side with the smaller numbers. I will try to take into account existing fights and feedback to define "smaller".
Normal NPC spawns near the Arch are an intended defender's advantage. They are generally less dangerous than any custom-spawned NPCs, but they may prove to be a nuisance.
Once NPC fleets are defeated, they will no longer be in-play.
If NPCs cannot be used for any reason, I will enforce the more standard form of balancing: switching to the opposing side. Anyone pming [Dev]Barrier can get a beam to either Heaven's Gate or Ryukyu Base after swapping characters for this purpose. Remember that your death timers are still in effect regardless of which side you died on.
