Yeah, as you can tell from the typing, this is pure opinion, but I am hoping by the end of this everyone sees that character sheets are a necessary part of a great RPG.
First off, character sheets increase the amount of knowledge all the other roleplayers have on the character, giving them the ability to create intricate methods that curb to the character's facts. Ultimately making the roleplay much more intense and enjoyable.
They also give others an idea of what your character is like, so they will not be completely blind of your characters motifs and/or abilities during the roleplay. Some may argue that ruins the mystery in the RPG, however, the characters themselves do not know this, and it is solely the roleplayers own fault if they give their character omniscience or omnipotence.
This not only helps in roleplay, but organization of your character's emotions and abilities as well. This can be lengthened into a full bio when complete, and makes knowing your character much more easier.
The reason I say forum RP or RPG is because I do not find it completely necessary to use character sheets in a roleplay which will not take a time longer than a day and with less than three people. Personally, they're not needed because if the roleplay will only be for an hour or two, the character sheet won't be used for reference that much and only one other person will even see it, while a standard RPG will take a month at least and require at least two or three people at a minimum to properly function. It's not hypocrisy, it's merely common sense.
I thank you for your time and appreciate you reading this. I hope I have encouraged you to have character sheets be used more freely in your RPGs and not have to be a mandatory procedure, but something everyone does voluntarily. Say I am a fanatic, say I fuck them at night, I do not quite care because I am secure enough to know you are insecure. Also, this would not be much of a character sheet article if there wasn't some sort of example. Here is one for my OC Gaiden Horn.
Name: Gaiden Horn Batticus
Sex: Male
D.O.B./Age: December 21st 1821 (190 Mobius Years, 19 Batrakan Years)
Species: Batrakan Vampire Bat
Personality: Stubborn, Reckless, Greedy, Idle and Manipulative
Special Powers: Manipulation Of Shadows & Void
Special Weapons: Golden Pistol, No Different Than A Regular Gun
Alignment: Evil
Backstory: Gaiden Horn Batticus is a Batrakan Bat who was born on December 29th, 1821 at the Batticus Chapel Of Vestus. He is the child of Lord Batticus III And Empress Batticus. He is known to Batrakans as the Fourth Ruler Of Thartan. After he was born, we was sent via pod to Earth, with a loyal servant of Lord Batticus III named Baku. He then lived in Detroit, Michigan with Baku, who treated him poorly. As he aged slowly, he found it very difficult to be in public most of the time, so he stayed at home most of his childhood. He was abused almost every week. While inside the house, he read books about the occult and black magic. Opening one he found at a library in 1902, he found Zipher L, and he mentored Horn until the day he died on May 21st, 2011. He continues to practice his dark arts and shadow manipulations each day. After he was 169, he sued his parents by Rius' Law, which dictated that one must never abandon a child, including emotional damages, he was awarded about 1,805,000 U.S. dollars worth in gold for this. His parents cannot deny he rightfully deserved that, but still hold something of a vendetta against him. Baku died on 1920, due to a massive heart attack, which is the reason Horn took Zipher's death hard. He carved the words on his first pistol "Baku II" After him, and had the gun gold glossed. As a "teenager" (169 years old) he encountered Zion, an Illinoisan high schooler who moved to Detroit, later meeting Lithro, and saving a boy called James from a gang of high school seniors, they made a gang who terrorized downtown Detroit in 1991. With Lithro and Horn both as leaders, there was a scheduled match to be held to deicide who would exactly be the true leader. Lithro had beaten him almost to the point of death, and was crowned the 'King Of Losers' from Horn, who left the group, and was replaced with Zeo immediately. After feeling alone for 22 years, he was visited by a black bat child, who later turned out to be Coro Succitab, his parallel from an alternate universe. With him was Jackson, an older looking man wearing a suit, the four, including Zipher, lived together for 8 years. Horn left to go live with his girlfriend at the time, Tibs, married her on Batraka and now currently live at her mansion. (This was a simple copy & paste from the SFC Wikia article, so some things in here might be 'no shit' material.)
Picture/Physical Description: (There are several right here: (link )
First off, character sheets increase the amount of knowledge all the other roleplayers have on the character, giving them the ability to create intricate methods that curb to the character's facts. Ultimately making the roleplay much more intense and enjoyable.
They also give others an idea of what your character is like, so they will not be completely blind of your characters motifs and/or abilities during the roleplay. Some may argue that ruins the mystery in the RPG, however, the characters themselves do not know this, and it is solely the roleplayers own fault if they give their character omniscience or omnipotence.
This not only helps in roleplay, but organization of your character's emotions and abilities as well. This can be lengthened into a full bio when complete, and makes knowing your character much more easier.
The reason I say forum RP or RPG is because I do not find it completely necessary to use character sheets in a roleplay which will not take a time longer than a day and with less than three people. Personally, they're not needed because if the roleplay will only be for an hour or two, the character sheet won't be used for reference that much and only one other person will even see it, while a standard RPG will take a month at least and require at least two or three people at a minimum to properly function. It's not hypocrisy, it's merely common sense.
I thank you for your time and appreciate you reading this. I hope I have encouraged you to have character sheets be used more freely in your RPGs and not have to be a mandatory procedure, but something everyone does voluntarily. Say I am a fanatic, say I fuck them at night, I do not quite care because I am secure enough to know you are insecure. Also, this would not be much of a character sheet article if there wasn't some sort of example. Here is one for my OC Gaiden Horn.
Name: Gaiden Horn Batticus
Sex: Male
D.O.B./Age: December 21st 1821 (190 Mobius Years, 19 Batrakan Years)
Species: Batrakan Vampire Bat
Personality: Stubborn, Reckless, Greedy, Idle and Manipulative
Special Powers: Manipulation Of Shadows & Void
Special Weapons: Golden Pistol, No Different Than A Regular Gun
Alignment: Evil
Backstory: Gaiden Horn Batticus is a Batrakan Bat who was born on December 29th, 1821 at the Batticus Chapel Of Vestus. He is the child of Lord Batticus III And Empress Batticus. He is known to Batrakans as the Fourth Ruler Of Thartan. After he was born, we was sent via pod to Earth, with a loyal servant of Lord Batticus III named Baku. He then lived in Detroit, Michigan with Baku, who treated him poorly. As he aged slowly, he found it very difficult to be in public most of the time, so he stayed at home most of his childhood. He was abused almost every week. While inside the house, he read books about the occult and black magic. Opening one he found at a library in 1902, he found Zipher L, and he mentored Horn until the day he died on May 21st, 2011. He continues to practice his dark arts and shadow manipulations each day. After he was 169, he sued his parents by Rius' Law, which dictated that one must never abandon a child, including emotional damages, he was awarded about 1,805,000 U.S. dollars worth in gold for this. His parents cannot deny he rightfully deserved that, but still hold something of a vendetta against him. Baku died on 1920, due to a massive heart attack, which is the reason Horn took Zipher's death hard. He carved the words on his first pistol "Baku II" After him, and had the gun gold glossed. As a "teenager" (169 years old) he encountered Zion, an Illinoisan high schooler who moved to Detroit, later meeting Lithro, and saving a boy called James from a gang of high school seniors, they made a gang who terrorized downtown Detroit in 1991. With Lithro and Horn both as leaders, there was a scheduled match to be held to deicide who would exactly be the true leader. Lithro had beaten him almost to the point of death, and was crowned the 'King Of Losers' from Horn, who left the group, and was replaced with Zeo immediately. After feeling alone for 22 years, he was visited by a black bat child, who later turned out to be Coro Succitab, his parallel from an alternate universe. With him was Jackson, an older looking man wearing a suit, the four, including Zipher, lived together for 8 years. Horn left to go live with his girlfriend at the time, Tibs, married her on Batraka and now currently live at her mansion. (This was a simple copy & paste from the SFC Wikia article, so some things in here might be 'no shit' material.)
Picture/Physical Description: (There are several right here: (link )
Name: Moka Purre'
Species: Cat (persian)
Age: 17
Nickname: Cool Cat
Color: Dark purple and magenta
She mainly believes in beauty, charm, looks, and attraction. I guess you could say she is conceited. But that doesn't change the way she is very caring and acts as Kami's guardian. Very responsible.
Name: Kami
Species: Rabbit
Age:14
Nickname: Bipolar Bunny
Color: Cream and light yellow
Strange and highly annoying, mainly because shes bipolar. Her idol is Moka and she is obsessed with Vlad. Has no parents.
Name: Winter Bride
Species: Not sure XD
Age: Not sure
Nickname: Woman in the mist
Color: Creamy misty color
Her beauty and wealth is admired by all. Not much is known behind her.
Name: Koko
Species: Cat (Maine Coon)
Age: 15
Nickname: Choco cat
Color: Chocolate brown
Adopted and not very social. She can be timid but uses her powers as her main weapons.
Species: Cat (persian)
Age: 17
Nickname: Cool Cat
Color: Dark purple and magenta
She mainly believes in beauty, charm, looks, and attraction. I guess you could say she is conceited. But that doesn't change the way she is very caring and acts as Kami's guardian. Very responsible.
Name: Kami
Species: Rabbit
Age:14
Nickname: Bipolar Bunny
Color: Cream and light yellow
Strange and highly annoying, mainly because shes bipolar. Her idol is Moka and she is obsessed with Vlad. Has no parents.
Name: Winter Bride
Species: Not sure XD
Age: Not sure
Nickname: Woman in the mist
Color: Creamy misty color
Her beauty and wealth is admired by all. Not much is known behind her.
Name: Koko
Species: Cat (Maine Coon)
Age: 15
Nickname: Choco cat
Color: Chocolate brown
Adopted and not very social. She can be timid but uses her powers as her main weapons.
clarece: today we are going to cook...bourbon chicken sandwitch well lets get started IN medium skillet over medium heat melt peach preseves...
suddunly a robot crashes in and take the crystal off her neck
eggman: hahahaha! now i can rule the world
clarece: u_u eggman! give back the crystal now or i will kick the shit out of you!
eggman: hahahaha! foolish girl why would i do that
clarece: because... I AM THER ONE TO SAVE THE WHOLE WORLD AND EVERYONE IN IT INCLUDEING U U FAT ASS BITCH OF A BASTARD!
eggman: { blastes her with a lazer}
clarece: THATS IT U SON OF A BITCH!
{clarece beats the fuckim shit out of eggman}
clarece: well i took care of that bitch now we can continue after the camercail
part 2 coming soon
suddunly a robot crashes in and take the crystal off her neck
eggman: hahahaha! now i can rule the world
clarece: u_u eggman! give back the crystal now or i will kick the shit out of you!
eggman: hahahaha! foolish girl why would i do that
clarece: because... I AM THER ONE TO SAVE THE WHOLE WORLD AND EVERYONE IN IT INCLUDEING U U FAT ASS BITCH OF A BASTARD!
eggman: { blastes her with a lazer}
clarece: THATS IT U SON OF A BITCH!
{clarece beats the fuckim shit out of eggman}
clarece: well i took care of that bitch now we can continue after the camercail
part 2 coming soon
“Shane?”
“…”
“Shane?”
“…”
“Shane?”
“…”
“SHANE, YOU LITTLE FUCKER!?”
“Hnnn?” Said HedgeBat turned to the now-infuriated HedgeBeast, putting his magazine down, “Whaddaya want, Mother?”
“You’re stoned.”
“So?”
“I’m bored.”
“Then do something…”
“Can I go drive a tank over something?”
By then, Shane had turned his attention back to his magazine, “Go for it.”
…
“YYEEEEEHHHAAAAWWW!”
Next morning…
“Mother?”
“Yeah?”
“…What happened to my car?”
________________________________________________
Uhh... Yeah. :| I'm not quite sure what this is, either.
Mother drives a tank over Shane's car... I dunno what else she destroyed. 8/
“…”
“Shane?”
“…”
“Shane?”
“…”
“SHANE, YOU LITTLE FUCKER!?”
“Hnnn?” Said HedgeBat turned to the now-infuriated HedgeBeast, putting his magazine down, “Whaddaya want, Mother?”
“You’re stoned.”
“So?”
“I’m bored.”
“Then do something…”
“Can I go drive a tank over something?”
By then, Shane had turned his attention back to his magazine, “Go for it.”
…
“YYEEEEEHHHAAAAWWW!”
Next morning…
“Mother?”
“Yeah?”
“…What happened to my car?”
________________________________________________
Uhh... Yeah. :| I'm not quite sure what this is, either.
Mother drives a tank over Shane's car... I dunno what else she destroyed. 8/