The answer depends on the capabilities of the scripting systems. For some reason or another, we can not offer contracts to NPC's so we can only accept these contracts instead.

If you want an NPC to run in a very efficient way, they will likely have to be able to accept scripts that you enter, such as your OPC or (more unlikely) your family members.

By the sound of it, they will work off of their own needs and goals, if distribution of salary is what you want, the NPC's will form contracts for themselves and your NPC might be better at negotiating prices than you.

Productivity is again something that your NPC might be better at

Keep track of sales prices would be something the soulbound engine does and so again your NPC would know the current prices but would be less likely to gamble with sales for profit.

Executing a pre-programmed routine would require a script

Relay messages and requests is indeed a feature planned (but I don't remember where I go this information)

Manage small tasks like hiring is a bit up in the air, as your needs may not be the same as theirs and so they may say I don't want a cart driver or I don't need security.

Reporting this information is something you have to interact with the NPC to gain the information. They may be capable of scribing the information otherwise.

Thanks for the feedback. I guess we'll just have to wait for more details before developing any further plans.

NPC's cant read and understand your contract and would have no idea of what they are signing. However they can be scripted to offer services based on their skills and abilities so they can offer a contract for these services for you to sign.

There will be some sort of a management tool at the higher tiers to keep track of land sold, taxes, business locations and the like. Personally I would like to see outflow as well, a automated payment method, be it for taxes or salaries since these will be a fixed value. Set the person, the amount, and how often the payment is processed, and let it run automatically. It would be up to the individual to ensure that the payment matches the contract (or possibly could be automatic as well) to prevent breach of contract. Some sort of a payment tool (not scripts) would be a huge help.

I hope SBS will allow submissions of our OPC scripts to better the NPC AI. You never know what players can think of and script. Having thousands of people scripting there own AI and submitting their best work would not only strengthen the AI imo but also add variety to the types of AI and NPCs.

I don't think NPC's will be capable of any high levels of intelligence or management, they will be able to do jobs related to their skills.

Woodcutters can be told to go out and harvest a certain type of tree within a certain area for example (go out and bring me oak wood from that grove over there).

A guard captain could lead his troops on patrol in an area you designate or along roads you assign him to.

A blacksmith will fulfill a contract you give him (for example you hire him to forge 10 swords, so he goes and buys the materials from other vendors and then forges the swords and delivers them to you).

A tax collector collects taxes from the residences in a certain district one a week or whatever the time he is given.

However, if you want complicated management and stuff, I don't think NPC's will be able to do that. They are given a task and will act in a way to fulfill that task.

Thanks for all the feedback. I guess I'll have to step up my recruitment efforts -.-