which game had best NPCs

i say XII

XII had larsa, reddas, gabranth, vayne, dr. cid, raminas, al-cid, vossler, ondore

IX is a close second for NPCs imho

I think the fact that you control Larsa at one point makes him a PC. :P

those aren't npc's, those are bosses and guests, despite the fact you never actually control them. If you see them in battle, they don't count.

I will count alcid and ondore.

I would say either nine or seven.

A NPC counts if it's a boss. The Turks and Rufus certainly count for me.

I would say VI or V have the best. They also have the best individual NPCs ever, Ultros and Gilgamesh.

NPC = non-player character. All of the ones listed are NPCs. Even Larsa, Vossler, and Reddas, at least in vanilla FF XII. You can control them in Zodiac International Fing Fang Foom Whatever.

Any game that makes me think, "Man, I wish they'd join the party!" does a good job with characterization in its non-playable characters. I can't think of any specifically aside from Golbez in Final Fantasy IV and some of the bit players in Final Fantasy VII.

FIne, I wont count larsa and reddas and them, but if we are counting bosses, I'm going with seven.

I would have to say final fantasy six had good non playable characters that did not join your party. I don't remember any of the other ff games it has been awhile my memory is foggy.

Hippaul.