I've created spaghetti so this is what I've resorted to

MWSE/mods/celediel/NPCsGoHome/functions/cellEvaluators.lua

@@ -6,16 +6,32 @@ local this = {}
 
 local function log(level, ...) if config.logLevel >= level then common.log(...) end end
 
+-- cellEvaluators can't require checks because checks already requires cellEvaluators
+-- this means I have too much spaghetti
+local function isIgnoredNPCLite(npc)
+    local obj = npc.baseObject and npc.baseObject or npc.object
+
+    local isGuard = obj.isGuard or (obj.name and (obj.name:lower():match("guard") and true or false) or false) -- maybe this should just be an if else
+    local isVampire = obj.head and (obj.head.vampiric and true or false) or false
+
+    return config.ignored[obj.id:lower()] or
+           config.ignored[obj.sourceMod:lower()] or
+           isGuard or
+           isVampire
+end
+
 -- cell worth is combined worth of all NPCs
 this.calculateCellWorth = function(cell, proprietor)
     local worth = 0
 
     local msg = "breakdown:\n"
     for innard in cell:iterateReferences(tes3.objectType.npc) do
+        if not isIgnoredNPCLite(innard) then
             local total = npcEvaluators.calculateNPCWorth(innard, innard == proprietor and cell or nil).total
             worth = worth + total
             msg = msg .. string.format("%s worth:%s, ", innard.object.name, total)
         end
+    end
 
     log(common.logLevels.medium, "[CELLEVAL] Calculated worth of %s for cell %s", worth, cell.id)
     log(common.logLevels.large, "[CELLEVAL] " .. msg:sub(1, #msg - 2)) -- strip off last ", "
@@ -29,6 +45,7 @@ this.pickCellFaction = function(cell)
 
     -- count all the npcs with factions
     for npc in cell:iterateReferences(tes3.objectType.npc) do
+        if not isIgnoredNPCLite(npc) then
             local faction = npc.object.faction
 
             if faction then
@@ -42,6 +59,7 @@ this.pickCellFaction = function(cell)
 
             npcs.total = npcs.total + 1
         end
+    end
 
     -- pick out all the factions that make up a percentage of the cell greater than the configured value
     -- as long as the cell passes the minimum requirement check