There are 7 steps to creating characters as detailed in the CRB (Page 33). A few of the steps have changed. The steps and any changes are listed below :
Determine Background: A few sentences about who your character is, where they came from, etc. CRB Page 35
Select Archetype/Species: See Races for a list of available races
Choose a Career: There careers found here replace the careers listed in the Genesys Core Rulebook and Shadow of the Beanstalk.
Invest Experience Points: Experience points are used to increase attributes, Skills (New Skill have been added), purchase Talents (Talents listed here replace any listed in other Genesys books), and increase Resources (gear, cyberware, lifestyle, etc).
Determine Derived Attributes: This is unchanged. CRB Page 46
Determine Motivations: This is unchanged. CRB 47
Choose Gear, Appearance, and Personality: Gear is purchases from the items found under
Equipment and Resources
Additional Changes:
New Attribute
Essence
This attribute represents a characters "life force". Essence is reduced by the installation of cyberwear, certain types of critical injuries, and attacks by certain awakened animals. Magic is tied closely to essence. Casters, Technomancers, and adepts will find it increasingly difficult to use their magical abilities as Essence is reduced. Characters with low essence are difficult to heal through magic. Essence is not used in skill checks and it can never increase or be regained. A character with an Essence of less then zero is either dead or has become as psychotic NPC.