I read this for my last playthrough and settled on not bringing Biff and Wolf in this playthrough...

So why am I unable to bring 9 crewmembers?

I've got Diego, Gorn, Lester & Milten. I've got Mario and Jorgen (and planning to grab Girion).

Then I've got Angar, Bennet, Lares, Lee and I want to bring Vatras but I'm out of room!?

I do NOT have Biff and Wolf, so why am I out of room?

(Also, I'm a Fire Mage, not sure what difference that makes.)

Mario shouldn't count. He's an extra, just as Girion and the captain.

Mario is being treated as one of the nine!

I kicked him and got everyone I was planning to bring- but now I can't invite Mario!

Weird.

Okay. Went through ALL crewmember scripts in a detailed look. Your whole problem is like this...

Normal crewmembers (Angar, Bennet, Biff, Diego, Gorn, Lares, Lee, Lester, Milten, Vatras and Wolf) have this condition when joining you (for the first time): Mario and Girion miss this condition in their first joining dialogue. Though, ALL 11 of them (captains not included) are counted into the final Crewmember_Count. Though, if you're taking people back (not hiring them for the first time), they check (among all) this condition instead of the above one: This time, Mario is included and checks it as well (you can't fire Girion, so he checks no conditions at all).

So, in order to have 11 people + captain on board, you have to do this: hire 9 "normal crewmembers" you want to sail with, THEN hire Girion and Mario (you have to hire Mario through the FIRST talk you have with him, so you must avoid him until you've hired the 9 people) and find a captain (you can do this anytime).

(Sorry for the confusion with the first advice; since I always hire Girion and Mario as the last two, I've never encountered this.)

Very interesting. Well, now I know what to do! :D

Thanks.

That was weird. I saw "fire Mario" and thought, like after he picks up the fire flower?

:D No, after he betrays you and joins the forces of darkness!