But I don’t need to pay PLEX for these Mercenaries.
I think this is actually pretty poor idea, and as such, there doesn’t need to be a “solution.” I find the arguments made here encouraging the OP to reach out and find some friendly pilots to partner up with to be the correct choice of actions to take.
I don’t see what the benefit of this kind of mechanic would be, compared to the amount of time that such a system would take in terms of development and implementation.
How could you possibly know what it would cost?
Are you aware that there are already many semi-autonomous combat-capable NPCs in the game?
Perhaps CCP could repurpose some of those.
Similarly you just “Vet-splained” away the need by saying “it’s a poor idea”. The requirement is to deal with a significant constraint for some activities for solo players.
The alternatives (groups, paying other playing) have obvious problems for solo players (the trust problem, and the cost and unpredictable loyalties of players employees).
By all means figure out a fix for the social contact problem though. It would be an excellent alternative solution.
I mean, news flash, that’s kind of the whole point of EVE. You’re supposed to work with other people to accomplish tasks that you cannot do on your own.
Then get better at forming these connections?
The point I’m making is that this doesn’t really do much for the game overall. There isn’t a glaring issue that NEEDS to be addressed by this. At most, this seems like demanding the developer to implement an idea to (1) keep risk averse players safe from ganks when they should really be taking responsibility for their own safety, and (2) creating unnecessarily complicated mechanism of NPC behaviors just because a handful of rambo-wannabe types can’t reach out and ask for help from another player in the game.
I don’t see the merit in this argument to begin with. Perhaps if you could explain why this is such an important change that needs to take place, there might be worthwhile discussion.
Also, sorry, I should have clarified.
I don’t know how much this would cost. My position was merely suggesting that any amount of development time and resources spent on this would be a waste.
I hope that clarifies my position for you.
You have to appreciate that CCP have bent their WarDec rules only recently, mainly to induce more ‘ease’ to alphas, and newbros corporations. Now, further asking that NPC Merc/Escort system be implemented, will not be acclaimed by most, specially since the initial update brought a lot of ramifications for decade-old merc alliances.
As for the ‘semi-autonomous npcs’ that you mention, I believe they already have their specific roles, and re-purposing them to accommodate solo players would be unfair treatment to the other game-play styles. As @Scoots_Choco mentioned, imagine if the paying customers of the nul-sec power blocks request for alike npcs in support of their wars, or to rat-off entire constellations, Eve online would be in eternal TiDi, and the market would go berserk.
Anyhow, soloing is just for some time (at the beginning). And I doubt anyone plans to keep to oneself in Eve online. If you give it some time, you will eventually find a group, who will be alike yourself to merge in with. And do note that there are corporations our there willing to recruit alphas, and non-corps public community groups where you can fly along (alike pvp roams, incursions, boosted mining, etc.). But in the end, you have to be willing to reach out, risk a bit and tag along. 
Kaylee
OP specified solo and newer players. OPs suggestion, like the Wardec change, is a way to deal with the infamous new player retention problem.
EVE is a remarkably hostile place for the majority of experienced gamers who take a look at it. So most of them leave before they really start playing.
If this issue is ever going to be addressed, existing well-established players will have to accept some changes.
But claiming a rookie-support feature, presumably implemented by CCP with reasonable limits, is going to affect large nullSec wars is just a Straw Man. It’s the destructive approach to a relatively simple thing:
identifying reasonable limits.
The constructive version would be to point out that these Mercs should not be used in certain places (e.g. lowSec/nullSec) or for certain activities (e.g. most kinds of PvP combat).
There might also be valid reasons not to do it at all.
Some may even have been presented in the thread. But if they were presented together with obvious “Straw Men” they’re invisible. Nobody serious reads (or IRL listens) beyond the first “Straw Man” .
I do not believe giving newer player this kind of a crutch to rely on is a good idea. In fact, I would argue that this makes the situation even worse because risk averse players will be less likely to leave for Lowsec/Null/Wormhole regions where they can’t take their NPC Mercenaries with them.
I will say right now that whatever limits you believe you can determine was “reasonable” for a system like this, us nullsec players will be able to find a loophole and exploit it far more than any highsec newbro will be able to take advantage of it.
It isn’t.
The mercs are going to cost money and require skills. New players are short on both.
Don’t try to push bad ideas with ‘think of the children’.
Thank you ISD Buldath, I didn’t realise there was a section for that 
The money issue is why NPC Mercs are needed - player Mercs are far too expensive. I don’t see where the skills thing comes from - Straw Man?
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New Players who don’t stay is a complete category of (potential) players.
A “think of the children” counter-argument doesn’t make this suggestion wrong. Its about justifying a measure that applies to a large group by focusing the discussion an an exceptionally sympathetic sub-group.
If you paid attention to “The Simpsons” you’d notice they almost always satirize the incorrect use.
Precisely. This feature (if it was indeed a feature) would have no influence on anywhere below 0.1 sec in my opinion.
The reason for this is simple.
Skills are literally mentioned in the op.
If mercs are affordable for new players, vets can afford them in abundance.
Malcanis law.
We know that.
But this idea has no benefit for new players that cannot be better exploited by older players. It’s NOT new player friendly idea. It infact makes older players even more difficult to match and overcome.
The NPC mercs would only be available to pilots in high/low sec. Using a merc in nullsec/wormhole space would have huge disadvantages/consequences.
Type of NPC for Hire:
Transportation (levels 1 - 5)
Adds 50 - 35,000 m3 to a player’s cargo capacity as a bonus
Combat/Escort (levels 1 - 5)
Adds 150 - 900 dps to a player’s offensive capabilities
Benefits:
-New miners will be able to store a lot more ore before docking to empty their loads.
-Adding mercs will add an extra dimension to the already lacklustre storyline involving concord and the races of the empire, that will draw many new players.
Cons
-NPC Transport will only be effective if used in high-sec. Taking your transport merc with you into dangerous space will be just as silly as going there solo in a wreathe.
Mercs wouldn’t be available in fleets and their feasibility would be limited to a small dimension of the mostly highsec/lowsec intersection of the gameplay.
Then suggest some limits so experienced players can’t misuse the feature.
Of course they’ll try. That’s not an EVE thing, or a gamer thing. It’s a human thing. Misuse should be designed out of everything in an MMO. IMO CCP has been lazy about this in the past, but they seem to be changing their ways at last.
And anyway new player can’t make a reasonably complete list of limitations because they don’t know enough. Vets could do a much better job - if they tried.
The Merc feature would not be allowed outside empire space.
I can’t think of a way an older player could misuse a merc/npc hire feature - with the limitations i’ve already discussed.
Zero impact.
The use of mercs wouldn’t be allowed in wars. Just like anchoring a citadel triggers wardec eligibility for a corp, the use of mercs in fleets or during war is not allowed.
It’s a feature for solo travellers/miners to use as an option.
The majority of experienced gamers, have lived through most types of space aggression and can live with it. For that fact, when they do take a break (because RL sometime you need to), most come back at some point.
CCP and well established players, are already making alot of concessions to accommodate our rookies. But you have to understand the overall philosophy of that niche market game; the more something is difficult, the more we like it. Easy stuffs (rookie-friendly) being implemented in the game will only be acceptable only for some time, or some space, or with some limited mechanics. More than this, would be asking too much.
That which appear simple in the unaware mind, is otherwise in reality. I think most experienced players will tell you that it will be an abused mechanics. Then again, I am not aiming to shoot your idea down, merely debating the cause of implementation based on my knowledge, I might be wrong, and maybe CCP do come with an effective solution (if you develop the initial OP maybe?). But if this were to be implemented; wouldn’t this much dependency on automated mechanics, specially when newbros are at their baby-steps, have even more depreciating effect when those rookies are faced with the real deal of flying on their own? Because let’s say CCP agrees to that, I doubt it will be feasible in pvp sectors.
I disagree. It’s a sandbox, everything is connected; one small change affects ALOT of people. And I doubt paying customers would agree to stay out of low/null/wh. In truth, removing the pvp out of Eve online in any sector, implies to killing the many in-game industries chained to it; A) those who invent / research; B) those who sell on market; C) even those who run anoms/missions for LP exchange of bpc; D) courrier industry; E) Citadel manufaturing; etc. In the end, removing Mercs out of the formula, will actually drive more people to leave the game, than stay. Not valid then. Maybe you’ll have to rethink it over, refine the OP and come up with something that does not disrupt a whole balance, or benefits only one side of the fence.
That’s all good in theory - but we all know that it isn’t that simple. Why? Because the Eve population are there to play their own gameplay and have their own individual fun, not to satisfy your own needs.
Good luck getting started! Let me know when you reach 10 active players with no alt members, and are still active after 60 days.
Everquest II has a mercenary feature and it’s brilliant. Mercenaries are a fantastic solution when there are limited players available as a resource or option.