This is just something I noticed. I was playing Curse and I picked up Alias & Dragonbait. They were obviously NPC’s and AI controlled. I saved the game before the big Moander battle. When I had to reload (cough cough yeah I didn’t survive first time round) I noticed that GBC now put Alias and Dragonbait up the top with all my other characters. And now they were no longer controlled by AI, I had to control them.
I’m wondering if this is a GBC issue or can it happen with GBC?
Next time I come across an NPC will try and load again and see if it does it again,
Thought it was interesting.

I assume you've been using GBC the whole time? I recently completed Curse and I don't remember my NPC's moving around at all in the order without my doing so. I also controlled them throughout the entire battle, every time. I thought I read somewhere that Charisma has an effect on NPC control but I also wouldn't doubt if GBC itself allows full control of the NPCs (everything except a 'Trade' option, of course). Either way, mine all have 18 in everything and I've used GBC extensively through the whole adventure so I wouldn't have anyway of discerning the difference, if any.

I don't think this answers your question definitively, I just thought I'd ad my experience. HTH!

I will have to see what happens next time I get an NPC. I'm certain they were a true NPC the first time round, and they fought themselves. It annoyed me as they stayed back with arrows if I recall. After a reload, I seemed to be able to control them which surprised me. I even was able to trade with them - I took Dragonbait's sword and he ended up using his fists for the following fight. I'm sure GBC has something to do with it.
Either that or my character won a roll vs charisma or something to take control? Who knows. I've parked it up for a bit after 3 x sigils gone. WIll get back to it in a little bit.
Thanks for responding.

I know 'Drop' is an option with NPC's. Perhaps you dropped Dragonbait's weapon? I'm very curious to know if you are able to trade with the NPC. That's something I was never able to do. I remember in PoR, I found a +2 shield and accidentally gave it to the NPC while all my primaries had +1. That's when I learned you can't trade with them.

Yes I definitely took his sword and gave it to one of my other players.
It was not long before I got out of the place so thought I wouldn’t need them soon and then we got into another fight and I was controlling him and he could only do fist damage.
I remember trying to remove characters after as I thought it was strange the way they were behaving, maybe I could make them one of my own characters but I couldn’t remove.
GBC put their image and health above the screen like one of my own characters. Didn’t do it initially, but after a reload it did.
Wish I had kept the save game before I went down there so I could try replicate it.