So, I love me a good HP RPG, which is funny because I'm really not a tremendous fan of the books (anymore), and I've been RPing for ages. I've made loads of characters and established a reputation for going a bit overboard when I'm balancing out their strengths and weaknesses, so I've got a ton of characters that are absolutely as far from "cool" as you can get. Even the devilishly good-looking one is so inherently flawed (and I'm talking real flaws, too... not just the ones that make him cool and likeable) that his good looks are more ironic than anything else.

But I've got this one character... and he's my favorite. He's a lot like the others in that he's got at least three things to dislike for every thing there is to like, but he's also got a dramatic past and some serious skills with a wand.

Now, I really think that, after years and years or playing the ugly/socially useless/unintelligent/genuinely and inexcusably nasty characters that no one else ever seems to play, I deserve to have one character that's fairly attractive, intelligent, respectable, and somewhat badass without feeling guilty... one character that I really would actually want to become as opposed to explore.

It's just that so many people have played the same character that I have, but without the humanizing detail, flaws, and limits that I've used that I feel like I'm just contributing to the problem even though I know I'm not. I agonized over that profile, making sure that I wasn't unleashing another overthought old gary stu with a trust fund and an order of merlin, first degree, but I still feel guilty.

So yeah.... I'm not really mad at anyone, just annoyed with myself for being so blasted concerned.

I was actually having this same problem a few days ago when I was mulling over revamping an old character a little to make him applicable to a new site I joined. In the end, I actually (more out of curiosity than anything else) went and took the Mary Sue litmus test just to ease my concerns a little bit. : )

It is frustrating though, I totally hear you. I mean, it's awesome to play the terrible, nerdy, socially awkward (but not in a cute way), sleezy weirdos, but it's so nice to have a character that's not any of those things too. In my case, I really just wanted a strong, quiet, and mysterious cowboy type of guy, even if that general description often fits your most basic Gary Stu but I, like you, didn't want to unleash some boring, typical character on the board.

Soooo (to conclude my rambling) I eventually finished his application the way I wanted him to be and pushed all fears of what he might end up being to the back of my mind and he actually turned out surprisingly unique. Sure, there are aspects of his character that verge on the stereotypical, but he's got other traits that balance them out. Anyway, I've come to the conclusion that so long as you're making a well-balanced character and are aware that flaws are equally as important as strengths, chances are it'll be fine. : )

Stop worrying and let the character flow, check out what happens, and things will probably work out better than you think they will (especially since you seem to already know what would make him a gary stu and everything).

Funnily enough, that's the exact same situation I'm in. I'm trying to move my character to a more active site because I want to play him so very, very badly. This has actually raised a whole new series of frustrating problems (because what established site needs another defense against the dark arts professor or auror or dueling instructor? Everywhere I go, restricted! Position not available! Position filled by sixty other people playing bad stereotypes who got there before I did and locked me out of a spot! *pulls hair out*), but that's a whole new rant unto itself...

I did those litmus tests too. Ironically, he actually came out a lot lower in the rankings than my other characters because I took such tremendous care to limit him.

The most pathetic thing is that I've been RPing him for more than a year now, he's never done anything remotely stu-esque, and no one has ever had a problem with him, so obviously I'm doing just fine, but... gah! It still kills me inside to play the battle-scarred ex auror!

I'ms sure you've heard this before but... Mary Sues are played, not made. You can create the most evenly balanced character out there but in the end, you can still play it like a Sue. The opposite is also true. Just make the character that you're happy with playing and don't worry about it.

Never feel guilty.

There are so many threads all over this forum about the types of characters people hate, 'because they're a Mary Sue'. Essentially to create a character that is not someone's definition of a Sue is impossible. Plus, let's face it, most of the time people take a 'Sue at face value. The character has qualities x, y and z and so therefore they're a Sue and it doesn't matter how they got there.

It's a bad attitude but one you just ignore. You created this character to have fun, right? So once they get into the game of your choice, you're there to have fun and so there's no need to worry about how you character is perceived, so long as you put in the work to make them a character you like. This is important because you say you have put in the work, so therefore, enjoy it. If you were moaning about a character you had generated in 10 seconds, we'd be having a different conversation :)

Ha, I could go on... and on... and ON about the characters I've created who fit so many Sue stereotypes it's hilarious--bottom line, writing quality. If you're not personally invested in your character's success/likeability--it almost doesn't matter what good traits and what flaws he has. I interpret the whole 'Sue' issue as more like a 'self-insertion' or 'ego-boost' issue. If that's not there, you're fine, generally.

I mean, I have a character who is... let's see (first, this is an historical RP, just fyi). Reasonably handsome, very intelligent, suave, charming, a good duelist, has slept with practically everyone, including the King (granted, this happened in RP, so it isn't like I made it up offhand)... and is epileptic, an atheist, alcoholic, and abandoned his mistress and small child. He's also killed someone (who was unarmed), was then imprisoned, and starts a lot of bar fights that end with him getting beat up. Is he a Gary Stu? Sure, maybe... but people love to RP with him, and he's so depressed and insane that he doesn't really use his talents for much of anything except throwing orgiastic parties occasionally and being Byronically mopey (look up Byronic Hero on tvtropes.org, that's him).

Er, anyway, my point is that I don't think I really play him objectionably or Stuishly. Nor need one do so. And there is NOTHING wrong with playing a hard-bitten ex-Auror or army officer or whatever. Good guys are fun. Solidly moral people are wonderful. Just make them realistic, and if you can pull off realism, it isn't a Sue or a cardboard character or a self-insert or anything--just a believable character, however talented or skilled or 'cool.'

To Roman: The funny thing is that I've never really had the chance to play him, which is a large part of the reason I'm worried. The only thing he's ever done ICly is sit around in a few places, being well dressed and waiting for something to happen because the site I made him for is so blasted inactive. I agree, though, and once I start playing him for real I'll probably feel better about it. Actually, now that I think on it, a lot of the reason I'm so worried is that the vast majority of his character is locked up in this monstrously long history section on a profile (and he's almost fifty, so he needs the length) that I've never really had the chance to validate with any decent writing outside of the profile itself. I'll bet that, once I get the chance to prove to myself that he's not a stu in actual threads, I'll feel better.

To Panda: Thankfully, I'm not worried about other people thinking he's a Stu. Everyone who has actually taken the time to read his profile has liked him, but then again, I have higher standards for myself than anyone else, so I would definately hope that any character good enough to get my own seal of approval would be well received.

God... I don't know what I'd do if someone actually called one of my characters a Stu. I've only have one legitimate Stu/Sue that I can pick out and I feel guilty enough about that even though no one ever called my on it. :D It's not me taking other's opinions too close to heart, really, but more me worrying about lessening the quality of other people's RPing experience.

SmathNa: I agree very strongly with your definition of Stu (although I do occassionally wonder if several of my characters --this one especially-- aren't wish fulfillment orientedl and I'd be kidding myself to think that there's a single one of my better characters that isn't at least half me). To me, it's really a question of whether or not a character makes other characters feel like there's no room left to shine.

Funnily enough, I've probably got about as many stu stereotypes going on, but he's also old and disabled.... oh wait, why am I worrying again? How on earth is a fifty year old man PBed by a sixty year old rocker supposed to be a stu? :p

Nope... attempt #5389 to convince myself that I'm being entirely irrational and don't need to worry about anything has failed :D Still worried, even though I agree with pretty much everything in this thread, so I guess there's nothing to do but bite the bullet, find a site that actually had a spot open for that type of character, and get 'er done. :D

Heh, all RP is wish-fulfillment oriented--I was talking more about over-investment. Some amount of wish-fulfillment is fine and natural.