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[Neonivek]

Given that they seem to be only able to handle 4-6 customers...

[Tack]

From way back when:
I don't think Geralt of Rivia is a Mary Sue.
I'd actually like to say that he's about as powerful as the rest of the witchers, and probably not as strong as a bunch of other people.
It's what I like about Dresden-style characters.
They have that intrinsic list of "people I'm stronger than|People as strong as me|People who are stronger than me but I'd defy if I Really had to|People who freaking terrify me and I would never screw with|

Then as the series goes on, the latter list gets smaller and smaller.

I got off-topic there.
Uh, so, FGRP, I've never really run any suggestion games. I like running games with seperate characters, generally with them free to party up or not as they choose, so it allows for people to be as freeform as possible.
But all of the games I run of that style generally have not enough people, or not enough interest.
Which I think is the same issue I'd come across in most forums.

[scriver]

No, Geralt is definitely a Mary Sue. Supernatural Badass, the whole Witcher-making process that's supposed to be horrible but actually just makes him more badass, gives him cool traits like white hair and wild eyes, and the ability to screw every girl in the world without having to worry about having children or getting venereal diseases, supposed to be a "monster" yet people want to screw him all the home, and so on. I haven't read the books so I don't know if the author is a good enough writer to overcome this, but the character in itself comes of as very sueish.

[Neonivek]

A Mary Sue is kind of supposed to be "Undeserved"

Geralt might get it on with the ladies but you see why they want him so bad.

[Kot]

No, Geralt is definitely a Mary Sue. Supernatural Badass, the whole Witcher-making process that's supposed to be horrible but actually just makes him more badass, gives him cool traits like white hair and wild eyes, and the ability to screw every girl in the world without having to worry about having children or getting venereal diseases, supposed to be a "monster" yet people want to screw him all the home, and so on. I haven't read the books so I don't know if the author is a good enough writer to overcome this, but the character in itself comes of as very sueish.

[spoiler=Well, spoilers...]
Well, to start - he's killed (well, theories exist but anyway he got a fucking pitchfork through his heart and even Witchers can't really shrug that off) by a simple peasant, in the book and he had a lot of times when he got out of trouble alive only because someone saved him, also he certainly can't be a Mary Sue since a lot of thing he does end rather badly for him and everyone else (he's called Butcher of Blaviken for a reason). The Trial of the Grasses is certainly horrible and he was only lucky to get through it since majority (seven out of ten IIRC) actually died during it but the whole purpose of it is giving people supernatural reflexes and whatnot, as in what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. White hair was actually a reason of other experiments IIRC, not the Trial of the Grasses itself. The ability to screw girls without worrying about children is actually a downside to Geralt as he apparently is a family person (hue). As the "monster"... well, everyone hates him and if girls just jumped on him like that he wouldn't really visit those brothels... as for Triss and Yennefer... well, the latter one fell in love with Geralt only due to magic djiin shenanigans, and Triss is... well, Triss. And a lof of his bed fame is actually Dandelions fault. Also games.[/spoilers]

[Tack]

Plus they subvert it pretty awesomely in the third.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

basically you save an elf girl and she goes "what, expecting a tumble out of gratitude? Get your head out of your ass"

Actually, pretty much the only people you Can 'do' in the third is just people who already know you. Or seductress lady-thieves.

I mean, I'll admit he's a powerful main character- but I would say only having the ability to save and load makes him a Mary Sue.
Or I have the definition wrong. For me, if things go badly for a character, and they curse and sweat- that's an instant sue-disqualification.

[hops]

Okay, sure, Geralt got killed, but he also got unkilled.

[Neonivek]

Ok it seems like some people need Mary Sue Lessons

Did he have to be taught to learn his skills? Is he more skilled then is justified? Is his backstory excessively convenient in order to justify his skills?

Does he make friends even though he is a aggravating bastard? Is he horrifically repulsive and yet is considered extremely attractive?

The point of being a Mary Sue isn't that you are attractive, skilled, and amazing... but rather that you are unjustified in being those OR that you aren't yet are.

To my knowledge Geralt is exceptional... but not outside the means of the story.

[Sonlirain]

Plus they subvert it pretty awesomely in the third.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

basically you save an elf girl and she goes "what, expecting a tumble out of gratitude? Get your head out of your ass"

Actually, pretty much the only people you Can 'do' in the third is just people who already know you. Or seductress lady-thieves.

I mean, I'll admit he's a powerful main character- but I would say only having the ability to save and load makes him a Mary Sue.
Or I have the definition wrong. For me, if things go badly for a character, and they curse and sweat- that's an instant sue-disqualification.

Well women were almost outright jumping at Geralts crotch in the first game (I think you could have sex like... 3 times in the first act alone.) but it was partially understandable because geralt is pretty much a completely safe person to have sex with.
Infertile so he won't leave you pregnant.
Immunity that kills any would be STD so he won't pass any STDs.
Manly and physically fit. (Altho admittedly he is described as having an "Ugly Mug" in the book).

Personally i think it was a good idea that CDPR backed away from all the sex in W2 and 3 because if you think about it W1 had more contrived sex than Ride to Hell and that's not really representative of real (non amnesiac) Geralt and his values now is it?

As for Mary Sues...
A maru sue needs to have a solution for everything at hand.
Locked door? I'll open it with a hairpin despite never doing that before!
Guard in front of the door? I'll woo him with my charm!
We're both the same gender? No problem i'm so sexy i'll make him gay or i'll use my secret shaolin punch technique and knock him out through the door!
He's too far away?
Well i'm also an empath and will influence his mind and tell him to help me escape!

That is a Mary Sue.

Geralt on the other hand is described by having a set of skills and atributes.
Can do simple gesture based magic.
Is great with swords.
Was genetically enhanced granting him above average agility, strength and dexterity along with being mostly immune to toxins.
Due to the toxin resistance he can use witcher only potions and elixers (with those things being so toxic even witchers can just barely withstand their negative effects).
Knows just about everything about monsters.
Is an optimist turned pessimist that would love to become an optimist again.

And that's it. That's his entire toolkit and most of his character described.

If anyone it would be Ciri deserving the Mary Sue Title... but that's another story and my post would be even more tl:dr

[Bauglir]

i just skipped the last 4 pages, but has there been a discussion of whether geralt really qualifies as a mary sue, with the aim of one side preserving and the other side attacking GD's sense of comfort with the depth to which it's penetrated its own ass with its head, ever since? bias completely on display here, yessir

[Tack]

I read that post about 4 times...
But I'm honestly lost. Sorry.

[Bauglir]

yeah, the grammar got out of control there. i'm fairly confident it's strictly correct but strictly unintelligible, aside from capitalization, but let me try again since the latter is strictly more important

like most, if not all, communities, GD likes judging the faults of other communities, and sometimes that includes situations like this where the other group is having fun with things many people on GD do not have fun with

this much is obvious, but what i mean to ask is - have we really spent 4 pages arguing about geralt's sue status as if that will settle anything?

[Egan_BW]

Nah, only like half a page, if you're not a 15ppp pleb.

[GiglameshDespair]

yeah, the grammar got out of control there. i'm fairly confident it's strictly correct but strictly unintelligible, aside from capitalization, but let me try again since the latter is strictly more important

like most, if not all, communities, GD likes judging the faults of other communities, and sometimes that includes situations like this where the other group is having fun with things many people on GD do not have fun with

this much is obvious, but what i mean to ask is - have we really spent 4 pages arguing about geralt's sue status as if that will settle anything?

No.

There's been discussion on FGRP and mary-suedom, with Geralt being brough up and discussed, but it's not really what I'd call an argument.
Is it being discussed? Yeah, that's... kind of the point of a forum to have discussions, and this thread doesn't really have rails.

[Egan_BW]

There are no rails on the WTF train.