Ever wait to watch a basketball game until the final quarter, because that's when all the best plays happen? Apparently, so does Playdom, who kept that little secret in mind when developing NBA Dynasty for Facebook. The Disney-owned studio got its mitts on the NBA license and went to town with it, creating one impressive basketball game that throws you into three roles: owner, general manager and coach of a hodgepodge NBA team with the best players from the '40s to present day.

Log into the game and you'll instantly notice its primary draw: the presentation. The amount of time (and money) that went into NBA Dynasty is instantly noticeable from the official NBA teams and players to the video clips that players can share from Comcast Sportsnet and other local sports news networks. And all three of your roles have been given the same level of polish.

Owner:
Of course as owner, it's your job to make sure the team has plenty of fans, exposure and, well, buy things. That's what owners do, right? Most importantly, you must use your earned coins from victories and purchased Crowns, the game's paid currency, to buy better athletes. Each player, which is or was a real-life NBA player, has an assigned star rating that's an accumulation of their defensive and offensive skills.

Other things that owners must consider are new courts and arenas, which will increase your capacity for fans and bring in more coins per win. Lastly, it's your duty to keep track of your goals, which will reward you with extra coins and XP when completed. It's all presented in an easily understandable menu system that explains exactly what needs to be done to move your team to the next level.


General Manager:
Strategy is the name of your game. GMs manage player lineups and provide their athletes with boosts to their performance. And if you want to get into the nitty gritty of every player's performance, the option is there as well. One of the best qualities of NBA Dynasty is its scalability, meaning the game can be as complex or as simple as you want it to be. Well, almost as simple--coaching isn't exactly easy.

Coach:
This is the meat of every sports game on Facebook. As Coach, you'll call every play during the pivotal fourth period in any given basketball game. Your starting lineup will appear as small icons on the court and go against the opposition in randomized plays based on each players' statistics. You can directly control who becomes the "Go-to Guy" on the team, meaning the guy who players will tend to pass the ball too. If a player is "On Fire," it would be a good idea to prioritize him, while players that are "On Ice" would benefit from sitting on the bench for a while.

Thankfully, you're given a few timeouts to make those switches happen. Switching players mid-game becomes vitally important, because as players stay in the game their stamina decreases and thus their performance. It almost goes without saying that you shouldn't sell players that are weaker than your starters, because it's your job to give the all stars a break too.

At Level 5, you're given the option to skip games entirely, but it's a pleasure to say that you might not want to do that. The amount of control you have over the outcome of a game is far too appealing to pass up in respect of time. Playdom has somehow infused engaging and rewarding gameplay into a burgeoning sub genre that has been plagued by boredom. NBA Dynasty brings a level of polish and realism to sports social games that just recently other developers have come close to.

Click here to play NBA Dynasty on Facebook Now>

Have you tried NBA Dynasty yet? What do you think could introduced to sports games on Facebook that would get you to play them? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.