for now

lua/autorun/hostile_npcs_tocitizen.lua

@@ -5,28 +5,57 @@ local originalListSet = list.Set
 function list.Set(listType, class, npc)
     if listType == "NPC" then
         if npc["Class"] == "npc_combine_s" and npc["Category"] ~= "#spawnmenu.category.combine" then
-            npc["Class"] = citizenEnemy["Class"]
-            npc["KeyValues"] = {
-                Hostile = 1,
-                SquadName =	"overwatch",
-                citizentype = 4
-            }
+            if !npc["KeyValues"] then
+                npc["KeyValues"] = {}
+            end
+            npc["KeyValues"]["SquadName"] = "m_EnemyRebel"
         end
     end
     originalListSet(listType, class, npc)
 end
 
--- Second stage. idk if one of these necessary
-timer.Simple(0, function ()
-    for class, npc in pairs(npcs) do
-        if npc["Class"] == "npc_combine_s" and npc["Category"] ~= "#spawnmenu.category.combine" then
-            npc["Class"] = citizenEnemy["Class"]
-            npc["KeyValues"] = {
-                Hostile = 1,
-                SquadName =	"overwatch",
-                citizentype = 4
-            }
-            originalListSet("NPC", class, npc)
+hook.Add("OnEntityCreated", "ForceReplaceCombine", function(ent)
+    timer.Simple(0, function()
+        if !SERVER then return end
+        if not IsValid(ent) then return end
+
+        if ent:GetClass() == "npc_citizen" then
         end
-    end
+
+        if ent:GetKeyValues()["squadname"] == "m_EnemyRebel" then
+            local pos = ent:GetPos()
+            local ang = ent:GetAngles()
+            local mdl = ent:GetModel()
+            local weps = ent:GetWeapons()
+            local health = ent:GetMaxHealth()
+            local keyValues = ent:GetKeyValues()
+
+            ent:Remove()
+    
+            local npc = ents.Create("npc_citizen")
+            if not IsValid(npc) then return end
+            
+            for key, value in pairs(keyValues) do
+                npc:SetKeyValue(key, tostring(value))
+                -- if value ~= "" then
+                -- end
+            end
+            
+            npc:SetHealth(health)
+            npc:SetMaxHealth(health)
+
+            npc:SetKeyValue("hostile", 1)
+            npc:SetKeyValue("squadname", "overwatch")
+            npc:SetKeyValue("citizentype", 4)
+
+            for _, wep in ipairs(weps) do
+                npc:Give(wep:GetClass())
+            end
+
+            npc:SetPos(pos)
+            npc:SetAngles(ang)
+            npc:SetModel(mdl)
+            npc:Spawn()
+        end
+    end)
 end)