I mean, it won't be a bad idea to have something like RPG maker in Epsilon, right? ?
I understand the point you're raising regarding the philosophy of the server. In my case, my friend group won't likely be online at the same time and I think crafting a story they can play at their leisure is a much more realistic expectation regarding their schedules. I'm sure there are others with this issue as well. The interaction won't be in real time, but at least we'll have a shared experience regardless of that.
I know about the dummy npc thing. It comes up a lot whenever you do ".lo creature" lol
Anyhow, this is only my reasoning for the suggestion. I'm sure you have your own opinion about this. Thanks for reading the feedback. I'm sure many will appreciate these features, even though it diminishes the role of the "present GM" a little bit.
Take care!