In WildStar, like other types of games, characters are generally considered to be elements within the game that are interactive, such as creatures, monsters, some types of machines, other beings, and other players.
NPC characters[]
Any character not controlled directly by a player is generally referred to as a Non-Playing Character or NPC.
Player characters[]
The characters controlled by players are often termed Player Characters. In WildStar players can create up to 6 player-characters per realm, which are independent, but can only be played 'one at a time'. See Player characters.