Upon starting a new game, you'll be prompted to create your main character, the Celestrian hero. You can customize their gender, hair style, hair color, eye color, and skin tone. While these choices are purely cosmetic and do not affect gameplay stats, they allow you to personalize your avatar for your epic journey. Take your time to create a hero you'll enjoy seeing throughout hundreds of hours of gameplay. Remember, you'll be able to change your appearance later in the game at certain facilities, but your initial choices set the tone.
After character creation, you'll be introduced to the game's prologue, which serves as a tutorial for basic movement, combat, and interacting with the world. Pay close attention to Patty, the innkeeper, as she will be crucial for recruiting your future party members. Your initial class will be a Minstrel, a balanced class suitable for beginners, but you'll unlock many more as you progress.