@Hcobb@nyrath I'm comfortable with 4 to 7 characters. Any less and I begin feeling like I'm playing with a couple of action figures. Any more and half the cast does nothing in a given scene.
In Marathon, the ship has 25 crewmembers, but the story follows the 6 officers, sometimes taking attention to the ensigns. 6 is the sweet spot imho, if you make them distinct.
nyrath