Not interested in hirelings but a little social activity would not be amiss. Or something like no mans sky, where an NPC 'joins' you when you build a special station for them to use and they just sort of hang out near it (NMS offers quests this way, but that isn't necessary). They don't do anything for most of the game, just make a village etc feel a little more lived in. Dunno if that even fits... but some things are already automated (ballista, smelter) and putting someone there ("shooting", "shoveling coal") to "run" it sort of thing (not really doing anything, just looking like it).