im going to start my HBD experience and was wondering the differences between public and private worlds? does everybody have to start in public? pros and cons?

No, you do not have to start in a public world.

The biggest difference, IMO, is that the commish screens owners for private worlds.    Which works against owners who've never had a team.   However, some are willing to take the "chance" on a new guy.  They're likely to help answer your questions.    In public worlds, anyone can play and, sadly, there are a few owners who take advantage of that.  That's not to say public worlds are all bad.   They aren't.  

There are some good public worlds out there, but they're a real risk because anyone can join and one bad apple can really spoil the party. Private worlds, on the other hand, offer a little more certainty because (presumably) the commissioner screen applicants to weed out flakes, nutjobs and dillrods. But sometimes the commissioner can be one of those himself, so it pays to check the classified forum to find the league that works for you.

This is a really fun game, but choosing the right world is a big part of that. Do a little homework and ask plenty of questions, and you'll find a good world.

Private worlds also have the ability to set rules, such as minimum win requirements, restrictions on budgets and budget transfers, the amount of cash allowed in trades, etc.  These rules typically are put in place to try to assure a certain level of competitiveness at the major league level.

Public worlds have no ability to make or enforce such rules, so they are stuck with the WIS guidelines.  Teams can blatantly tank at the ML level, but as long as they play over .250 ball, there are no consequences.

But like Mike said, that does not necessarily mean that all public worlds are bad.  There are some private worlds that are much worse than most public worlds.

Andrew, before jumping, take some time to read through the forums.  I joined HBD about 2 years ago and it was only after several weeks of studying the game and especially the forums.  While I still have a lot to learn, most of what I picked up and used right away came from the forums.  Get familiar with:

1.  How contracts work
2.  How the 40-man, Designating For Assignment, Rule-5, Waivers v. release (don't release unless it's a guy you don't want to take to arb, like "non-tendering" in real life).
3.  Read the thread "Things We Learned In Aaron and Ruth".  All of it.  Then do it again.
4.  Ratings are king.  Don't be fooled by minor league performance.
5.  Resist making trades in your first season in any world, especially early.  Exception:  if you're contending down the stretch and need that extra guy, you can try it.
6.  Whichever world you join, look at it closely to find out where the money is spent and how it plays.  They all play differently.
7.  Read the forums.

As travis said, the biggest decision you'll have to make is which world to join.   Figure out what you want from a world and find one that fits.    If you're not sure, I'd probably start with a public world.    Public worlds owners hate when I say this but private worlds expect you to stay, public worlds shouldn't have such expectations.

I'd recommend becoming an in-season replacement owner to get your feet wet.

thanks for all the info guys. i spent a couple hours this am reading through several forums and getting a feel for the game...i will continue to do that. i went to the world page and it said there are currently no public worlds available to choose from...which leads me to the comment that a couple of you made about choosing a world based on what i want to get out of/from the world...what exactly does that mean? what should i look for when choosing a world? what i "think" im looking for is simple enough...a competitive and fun world to enjoy this game in. also im curious about the comments pertaining to bad owners ruining things for everybody...why would people purposely tank their ML team? isnt that ultimately the team that you play the game to hopefully win with?

You can gain an advantage on future seasons by slashing your current payroll and applying that money to your scouting budgets and, especially, prospect bonuses. (It's especially annoying when owners transfer lots of money from payroll to prospect bonus money to outbid other teams on international prospects.) Also, losing tons of games in one season guarantee that you'll have a high draft pick the following season. Doing these things make the league less competitive in the short term, because one owner is not trying to win games at the ML level, and in the future, because an owner who stocks up on talent for multiple seasons can create a juggernaut.

(It should be pointed out that it's entirely possible to build a good minor league system while still competing at the major league level; it's just a little harder -- and a lot more fun.)

Each world has its own personality, depending mostly on who's a part of it. Some have more bantering and trash talk, others are more laid back, some are more competitive and cut-throat, and others less so. Some worlds look away when vets swindle newer owners, others don't, etc. I think the best way to get a feel for a world is to read their classified thread and, especially, the world chat, if you're able to see that.

Read the world chat for any world you might be looking to join.  That should give you an idea of the tone of the world.  If you hate fighting, don't think that people who can't stay civil while recruiting will suddenly behave themselves.  Equally, if nobody says a thing, don't expect the chatter to suddenly start once the schedule is set.

I think that's part of what people mean when they say "know what you want".  If you want to run your team and keep to yourself, take part in some playful bander, or if you like taking pot shots at people's mothers an/or sexual preference, there's a world for you.  It's a matter of knowing how to find it, and the WC is a great place to get an unvarnished snapshot of what a world is like.

For competitiveness, a good (and easy, since they jump out) place to start is to count 100+ W/L teams.  Too many of either could be a sign of an unbalanced world.  If you like the idea of knocking off a dynsaty, or whether you think everyone should have a reasonable shot with a few shrewd moves, there's a world for you.  If you hate the idea of tanking to build a good team, this is also a good place to start, since you can look at past records, too.

The chat in worlds looking for owners may not be indicative of the way they roll.   I'd recommend sitemailing the commish.   If he's worth a damn, he'll list the pros/cons of his world because he'll want you to want to stay.   A good commish in a good world isn't looking for a one season solution to rolling, he's looking for an owner who wants to stick around.

tomjames did a world ranking not too long ago.   I'll bump that thread.   Look at the rankings and the criteria.  It's a good place to start.

And, just so you know, I'm not recruiting you for my worlds.   I require experienced owners.   So I've got no ulterior motive unless I'm trying to set you up for September 2012.

Were eagerly pursuing this new lad for John Kruk. The new and improved John Kruk.

Posted by MikeT23 on 3/24/2011 2:48:00 PM (view original):
And, just so you know, I'm not recruiting you for my worlds.   I require experienced owners.   So I've got no ulterior motive unless I'm trying to set you up for September 2012.

The final season before the world ends on 12/21/2012?