Basketball Dream

[barkleynash]

Check it out: http://apps.facebook.com/basketballdream/

As a basketball junkie I'm always looking for more ways to spend time thinking and doing stuff basketball related. I stumbled upon "Basketball Dream" on FB and was pleasantly surprised by how fun it was with the many different roles you can play on the game. Creating players, customizing them and developing them is always fun (I made a Kevin Durant clone and I plan on making a supersized Magic Johnson like point guard and a Yao Ming style center). In the creation process you can control the height, weight, jersey #, where he's from, and the style of player he's going to be (Pass First, Defensive Stopper, Hustle Guy, Scorer ect...) Afterwards you spend skill points on 16 different attributes to customize the type of player you want. Those attributes include: Ball Handling, Passing, Rebounding, Shot Blocking, Defensive Skill, Inside Attack, Mid Range Shooting, 3 Point Shooting, Stamina, Strength, Basketball IQ, Confidence, Vision, Jumping, Speed, and Agility. Throughout the game your player can earn more skill points by training, playing in 3 on 3 streetball games, and of course by playing regular season and playoff games with their teams. The last way you can customise your player is by buying different gear which gives different attributes bonuses much like in this classic MJ commercial ;) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Abr_LU822rQ

Playing as an agent for the players you create is also very cool. Searching for the best contract and situation you can get from other online gamers or finding the right computer controlled team where your player has the best chance to shine and get the playing time he deserves. Or possibly finding a stacked team and perhaps a lesser role in order to chase a championship. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGt5f70K02Q

The game also has options for you to be the coach where you can control who gets the minutes and what style of play you will use as well as juggling injuries and team moral. As a coach you're not always just dealing with computer generated players but also with the gamer made players and as such you potentially may have to deal with a disgruntled "agent" if their guy isn't getting the burn they think he should haha.


The next role the game offers is probably the most interactive is that of the general manager which lets you try for free agents, negotiate with agents and make block buster trades all while staying below the salary cap. Staying under the cap and being competitive is a very difficult balancing act and a challenge that most gm's enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlE9gqe0IHw

The last logical role is that of the owner of a team where you go about the business of making $ for your franchise and putting your city on the map. There are 4 different types of leagues you can own a team in starting with the rookie leagues, sophomore leagues, developmental leagues and at last the professional league.


For myself my favorite part of the game is developing my players and tracking their progression. Interacting with other fellow basketball junkies is also very cool with the majority of the gamers there are fairly knowledgeable about the game and NBA fans. The forums are a great place to chat and post comments and bball videos as well as great places to get your players noticed by General Managers looking to fill out their rosters. At the end of the day the game is all about winning championships and getting your players into the hall of fame and all the bragging rights that come along with that. If you have Face Book, it's an easy search, check out "Basketball Dream" and start playing. The game is pretty straight forward but If you have any questions for getting started, members in the forums and groups are very helpful. Happy gaming, see ya online!
It's worth checking out! http://apps.facebook.com/basketballdream/