NPCs are not soulless automatons

NPCs are egregore-controlled humans, they still have an independent mind but their mind is enslaved and used as a tool for expressing the egregore mind, like a two-way radio channel.
see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egregore
Its possible to disrupt the link to egregore by subversive thought insertion(aka memes), allowing the original mind to assert its will and independent thought. The egregore can't focus on multiple mental challenges simultaneously and the "radio channel" has limited capacity.
NPCs can be reformed to PCs.

>>154

they'll have small-scale wars(similar to tribes and ancient states)

Which is fine. That's part of the game of life, you wouldn't be sitting around feeling boxed in and butthurt if you were living with your band of brothers and marauding around. Comfort poisons the soul.

The idea that centralized states can defeat bands of warriors is laughable and proven wrong throughout history. Not even a Great Wall can stop them sacking a degenerate centralized state and raping everybody. History proves that marauding bands are the superior social organization.