SWG: NPC Consumers

Usage-based advancement for crafters can involve NPCs in a non-exploitive way. For example, NPC guards will protect many of the static towns, other game-generated content (POI's, etc.), and declared player cities. Where do these Imperial troopers, Rebel soliders, and Hutt thugs get their weapons? And, if they unexpectedly survive an encounter with a PC opponent, where would such an NPC get their equipment repaired?

The answer clearly should be PC crafters, just like it is for other (i.e. PC) consumers.

For the supply end I'd been thinking that this went without saying, but I realized today that even NPC repairs could and should be done by PCs.

This is an important additional drain on the crafting economy (see the previous discussion of why this might be important) and a boon for crafters who'd rather interact with NPCs than PCs.

A stormtrooper uses your gun to fight off the latest rebel ambush, you get your usage...it makes sense to me.

See also: http://boards.station.sony.com/ubb/starwars/Forum3/HTML/057032.html.