Recruit all stars without guide.

[Aerolithe Lion]

Suikoden III was the closest I ever got, where I had about 90 characters before having to resort to a guide to get the Korokus and the Belles of the game. Though that's probably because if you choose dialogue you normally would as an upstanding citizen, no one is really missable at endgame.

[bluemask]

The only game I dared without a guide on a first run is S1. The only one I left is Lester because I have no idea where/who the heck he is. There's nothing to tell you what sorcery you have to do in order to get him (food tasting? yeah, very obvious ). Thanks to the internet FAQs, I got everyone lol.

[Twilight Sky]

Yes and I did it the old fashion way. I used the investigator in Suikoden II. From III onward I used the guides.