Beginner's Guide

So, you want to be a dood, huh? Well you're not allowed. Don't read any of this.

Getting in the know
Read all the sessions articles that have happened so far- or at least the few most recent ones if you can't stand reading. Even so, you should probably read more than you need to to get a feel for what the sessions feel like and the kind of characters that turn out awesome. You can view the story from the beginning using the season timelines. This is how it started.

Making a Dood
Consult your local game man about the exact rules and how you put your points where, because that's not what I'm going to address. Here are some general rules of thumb instead.
 * Don't put everything into combat (classes like soldier, martial artist, etc.) because it makes you into a one-trick pony, and you'll be the one knocking down enemies without ceremony while the awesome characters are being awesome and making history. At the very least have some unorthodox combat archetypes like Wrestler, Bow-hunter, or Battle-Bard.
 * Ninjas aren't just for shuriken-throwing and jumping around, and soldiers aren't just for shooting guns. Think more creatively about these archetypes. Maybe a soldier skill can be rolled on when shouting at people or remembering orders, or a Ninja could down bowls of ramen in incredible time. Make frequent use of these assets instead of sticking to your guns, cool GMs like Dale and I reward this.
 * Make sure your character has character. Let the personality and the backstory define the stats, not the other way around. Make sure your dood has something he wants to do, and isn't following orders for his lifespan. Here's how to test if your dood is up to snuff: imagine an in-game conversation as your character, see if you have a good idea how they would respond to various situations. Put them in tight spots, physically and morally, and see how they hold up.
 * What relationship does your character have with the existing canon? Were they impacted by previous events, possibly events caused by an earlier party? Do they know any existing characters personally? You don't even have to bring it up with them beforehand, just bring it up in-game and it'll usually gets canonized. Giving your character a place in the world makes the story more rich because the players' surroundings and past are consequential (and the story is important as hell regardless of how silly it gets).

Bon Voyage
Welcome to the club, sonny. May you be half as cool as the potted plant.