[quote=@Chai]
On the other hand, I feel like some GM’s use them to assess writing ability or to just have a pile of lengthy info regardless of whether or not it’s necessary. This is where, I think, we get into the territory of a CS being “useless” and a waste of creative energy, especially for meaty parts of a CS that may take a while to formulate. How relevant is that background or complete life story to the start of the roleplay? Will it get mentioned at all? What purpose does it serve in starting the roleplay? If it serves no purpose, I would argue that it doesn’t need to be there in the first place.[/quote]

We do this for several reasons.

First of all, most people hate big sheets. They just want to plug & play, because they could give a shit about the story, only what their character can do within it. A beefy, detailed sheet sets up a first line of defense against plug & play types.

Second of all, that beefy sheet makes sure we know, that you know your character. That you've taken the time to fully flesh out a fictional human being, rather than a shapeless mass of potential to unleash upon any given situation.

Finally, it attempts to force establishment of [u]FACTS[/u]. So that you can't, at any given time, retcon that character's past and skill set to serve your needs as your situation evolves.


I have to dumb my sheets down for most projects, because no one would apply if I used the full version.