Ok I have tried HD before I am a huge baseball guy and would like to try this again. It looks like it can be a good game and fun, but is very complicated. Is there any where in the forums that is a beginners guild as a starting place? Or what are some suggestions as to where to start with getting a handle on everything? Any suggestions and advise would be very helpful.

Thanks,
M

1)  "Things We Learned in Aaron/Ruth", though I suspect that some of the info in that thread may be a bit dated.

2)  Hook up with a couple of mentors to give you some direct, one-on-one guidance.

Yeah, I'd contact a couple mentors (http://www.wisjournal.com/forums/Posts.aspx?TopicID=375620&TopicsTimeframe=30) and make sure you get the "why" and not just the "what".

Also: RTFM

Accept you're going to make some mistakes your first one or two seasons.

If in doubt, ask a mentor a question or post it here. Almost every question gets answered, even if it is around the posts from the players who forget they were once a new player, too.

I did some stupid things my first 2 seasons.  Messed up on contract options.  Ranked the Rule 5 players, and then forgot to set the screen so I would draft anyone.  Over paid for an average FA starting pitcher.  Made one really bad trade.  None of this sank the franchise.

I'm sure I'll make a few more mistakes in my next few seasons.  Whatever.  It's a game.  Too many people take it way too seriously.  They tend to post here frequently. Don't let them impact your good time. Many people offer a lot of good tips.

You can learn a lot about the game by reading as many posts here as you can handle.  Most of the more complex issues of the game are covered over and over.  Make a note of what those things are and a few tips. Figure the rest out.

Look at a few established worlds. Check what ratings lead the league in hitting, fielding, pitching etc. Look what rating result in the most errors, lowest SLG, etc.  See what team pay for coaches.  You'll get the idea of what's good and what's not.

The only aspect of the game that I don't think you can learn before joining is projections.  My one tip in this area is projections are mostly fantasy dream numbers. Improvement is pretty much done after 2 seasons.  Some players continue to show slow improvement, but it's not the norm.

No, don't ACCEPT that you'll make mistakes.   You will.  But accepting it as a foregone conclusion isn't the way to start.  Strive to not make mistakes.

Beyond that, I tell n00bs to know what you're doing before you do it.  If you're not sure, don't.  You won't ruin your team by not doing something that will affect you long term.

Agreed with what Mike said.

An aggressive approach while learning the ropes is playing with fire- you're almost certainly going to set your team back with too many big trades and FA signings until your handle on the game is sound.

To add to what deano said, too many n00bs who set their team back simply move on.   That leaves a team in bad condition for the next guy.   And makes you look like a one and done kind of guy.   A lot of worlds aren't interested in owners with a handful of one and done seasons.

Figure out who your best players are through performance.  See who does best, and see what ratings they have that are better than your poorer players.

Check all-time leaders for stats, and see what they have in common.

Don't try to overthink things, either.  There's a lot of information to try to sift through, and hopefully figuring out which ratings are more important will help you to focus a bit.

And the whole mentor thing is good.... but keep asking "why", too.

Most important pice of advice: Don't post questions in the forums unless you are willing to accpet that you will get half a dozen wise-crack responses.

That's the most important Sherlock? Lol.

The MOST important advice is to not do anything big in regards to trades or FA signings until you are abslutely sure that the trade WILL be good for your team and the FA is in fact worth the money.  I am just re-itterating what somebody else said, backing it up you might say.