Players keep track of the status of their character through the use of a character sheet. This contains all the relevant statistics as to the skills and attributes of the character. It also allows the player to take notes, list equipment, and keep track of the physical characteristics of the character. On my web page there is a sample character sheet created by one of my players. Download a copy and examine it at http://www.wpi.edu/~dev_alac/.
(There is also an Excel Character Generator here. The Excel sheet currently only supports human characters.)

The top of the character sheet is for general notes about the character, a portrait, and a quote. These are items that are used to "get into character" and are useful to help quickly explain your character to other players and the Gamemaster. The center of the character sheet is dedicated to recording the Attributes and Skills of the character. The right side is a quick equipment list for the basic items that your character carries with him or her. The bottom is a list of weapons, the wound status of the character, and the number of Force Points and Character Points the character has. There will be more on Force Points and Character Points in section 0.2.

Attributes and Skills are ways the game breaks up the abilities of the character into easily used game mechanics. Not everyone is good at flying a starship for instance. The rating system used to judge the skill in a particular area uses Die Codes consisting of Dice and Pips. Dice are standard six sided dice. Pips can be thought of as fractions of a die. For instance, the die code 3D+2 means that three six-sided dice are rolled, their total sumed, and two added to the result. In Die and Pip terms, it was three dice and two pips. Three pips equals a die (usually, there are exceptions, but these will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis throughout the text), so there is either +0 (left out), +1, or +2 following a die number.

Attributes are the general ability of a character in a certain area. There are eight attributes and each one represents a different aspect of the character. For instance, a character with a high Knowledge is very good at mental tasks such as memorizing facts and processing that information. A character with a low strength is not able to lift much weight or deal much damage in physical combat.

Skills cover much more detailed areas of expertise. A character with a high Blaster Pistol skill will be good firing a blaster pistol but not necessarily good at firing a blaster rifle (another skill). They begin at one die below the attribute to which they are associated and increase to the level of the attribute when purchased to a minimal competency level (see 0.3).

Some skills are listed as Advanced. These skills require professional training. No matter what sort of inborn talents one may have, it's impossible to do brain surgery without any training. Hence, skills like Medicine are Advanced and require other skills to purchase. Some start at 1D instead of at the attribute, others start at the attribute. Some have other requirements and restrictions, like increased cost (see 0.3).