Just FYI, Xyth and SphereII created a modlet (which requires custom C# code) that allows human NPCs to be hired. However, once they are hired, they stay hired, unless they are dismissed.
And, if you play around with those NPCs, you'll see exactly how the "magnet follow" AI is
not simple. Once hired you can get those NPCs to follow you - and even though both Xyth and SphereII are very talented, and are also using much of the AI code from the vanilla game, it's still buggy. They had to implement a "teleport" mechanic because of it.
I'm just letting you know this, so that you know that follower AI is not at all easy to implement. I'm sure the Ark developers worked for months or years on that AI and you can see it's still not perfect.
That, plus the fact that
players famously loathe escort missions, means it is vanishingly unlikely that TFP will ever put them in the game, or even add the code necessary to support them.
If you're curious, I did implement some human NPC missions in my own NPC modlets. None of them are escort missions, but you might like them nonetheless. You can see them here: