I suspect it has to do with voice acting. The PC character obviously has way more lines than a hireling would. Even when your pc doesn't talk in dialogue, Tav and Urge often comments on the situation, such as on the Nautiloid. Recording ten or so additional voice sets for a PC character would be a huge cost. Now, they recorded 12 hireling voices with not a quarter of the monolgues and that, as they say, was that.

For me, this is fine. I don't need to control *every* little bit, and I somehow feel it's nore natural to hire a person than to create something from scratch. If you really must, go do the multiplayer hack, but otherwise... You have nothing to complain about, really.

Fear my wrath, for it is great indeed.