As the big bad owner I'll take a second and chime in, all new players should make their decisions on whether to PC or NPC based entirely on their desire, we have volunteers and systems in place already to balance out PC:NPC ratios if needed, but historically the NPC list always fills up towards the end so don't fret as a player over whether we will have enough NPCs, SoMN has always been graced with a good number of NPC bodies.
The learning experience is different, but good on either side of the fence, so a lot of the decision is based on if they might want to hang out with their contact (PC or NPC) as well as how sure they are of what kind of character they might want to play, many new folks come in with no idea what they want to play, so NPCing gives them a chance, some come in knowing they want to be the big fighter/kind healer/Greedy Merchant (Barrister?).
From a PC stand point, I can't help but think of what a great first story it would be to come into game as a hired hand in over your head during this massive undertaking. And on the NPC side, We expect the experience to be just as cool as a rank and file defender that gets to salie forth again, and again, and again.
