[Unknown_Enemy]

Welcome aboard Ron Coit, as this game has been made especially for people new to PBW, there is nothing to forgive.

1 You can do both. Take a race from TDM, or create a new one from scrap. As you want.

2 You will tell us !

Let's assume you will create a race. When you are done, you will save it in a new file.

After being accepted on the game, you will have a button to upload your empire file. Pressing that button will bring you to a screen in which you will be able to
a - upload your empire
b - fill your password for the PBW system
c - indicate which shipset you are using

This is the easiest way to do it.

But it is very important to read the PBW FAQ. Some good people did put lots of efforts in it, and lots of useful informations.