The name of the game is Freestyle, and it's not your typical sports title. Sierra Online's "Online Community Basketball Game" is already a huge hit across Asia, with millions of players competing to be hoop gods and goddesses. But here in North America, it's a whole different ballgame. Everyone's starting fresh. That means that you, with just a little bit of mad skillz, can come to dominate the court!

Join the Freestyle Alpha Test Today

Whether you're a fan of basketball or not, you'll find that Freestyle is surprisingly deep (and addictive, once you get the feel for it.) FilePlanet's Freestyle guide will help you go from rank amateur to essential member of a winning team. But first...

Mastering the Basics

Before shooting hoops in serious competition, the best way to learn the game is to throw down some one-on-one's with a friend. That'll help you learn basic offense and defense, although obviously you'll need more players to work on passing. Master the keyboard! Learn how to reliably shoot and pass the ball before getting into the heavy team games.

D = Shoot the ball (on offense) or block a shot (on defense)

S = Pass the ball (on offense) or steal the ball (on defense)

A = Make a quick dash (if you have the ball)

W = Create a pick for a teammate (on offense) or "Box out" opponents (on defense)



Different keys do different things depending on the circumstances. For instance, while dribbling, you can use the "W" key to make it harder to steal. When you want to shoot the ball, quickly tapping "D" will do a fake. Play around until you're comfortable with the keys!

Getting Some Skills

Characters level up in Freestyle, just like they do in other massively multiplayer games. You can also learn new skills, or buy clothes that improve your game. This is important stuff! You should invest in some skills and gear as soon as possible to improve your play.

To learn new skills, just click on the "Skills" tab in the main menu once you're logged in as your character. You can spend points you earn in-game to get better stats and basic skills for your position. Don't neglect to do this, since some very basic level 1 skills are important for play. Click on "My Skills" in the lower right to make sure that the skills you want are activated.

You'll also want to buy some gear! From the main menu, click on "Items" to outfit yourself in some cool looking duds. Nothing says "n00b" like a plain shirt. More importantly, certain clothes have "+attribute" next to them -- this means that you can boost your stats by wearing them. As a new player, you need every advantage you can get, so be sure to load up.


Finally, your character can wear tattoos. Why do you want these? Because Tats boost your takeaway from every round played. We recommend the "+200% Experience" tattoos, which will help you level up faster. Without it, you're only getting a partial benefit from every game. Click on "My items" in the lower left to see what all your character owns and is wearing.

In the full version of the game, you'll have to pay for bills and earn points through play. But in the alpha test, everyone gets some starting points and cash to play with to test the game. Feels good to be on the inside, doesn't it? Now that you've got your gear, it's time to get serious about how the game is played. Let's look at each position!

NEXT PAGE: Guide to Freestyle Positions and Team Play...