************* America's Army Strategy Guide ***************

 

Last Updated: Sunday, August 31st 2003

 

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Table of Contents

 

1.  Copyright

2.  Introduction

3.  General Info

    a. Honor

    b. Rules of Engagement

    c. Health

4.  Movement

5.  Shooting

6.  Close Quarter Combat

7.  Extended Range Engagements

8.  Weapon Analyses

9.  Teamplay

10. Tips for Counterstrike players

11. Contact Info

12. Acknowledgments

 

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Section 1: Copyright

 

This document is protected by copyright, 2003 and may not be used for profit.

If you wish to use this FAQ or portions of it please obtain my permission by

contacting me via email.

 

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Section 2: Introduction

 

America's Army: Operations (AAO) is a first person shooter developed by the US

Army and the Department of Defense as an "an entertaining way for young adults

to explore the Army and its adventures and opportunities as a virtual Soldier"

(i.e. it's a recruiting tool). In contrast to similar games such as

Counterstrike, Rainbow Six, or Battlefield 1944, AAO tries to faithfully

simulate the Army experience by accurately modeling the weapons, training,

and teamwork of the US Army.

 

This guide is intended to serve the intermediate to advanced player who is

familiar with the mechanics of first person shooters and who has completed all

of Basic Training (including sniper and jump training).

 

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Section 3: General Info

 

*** 3a. Honor ***

 

Unlike almost all the other games in the FPS category, AAO gives each player a

persistent, password protected account. With this account is a ranking system

known as "Honor". At the end of each round, your score points for that round

are added to (or subtracted from) your total career points. The more career

points you have the higher your honor. First time players start at 10 Honor

and for the first 10 levels gain 1 Honor per 1000 points. Past 20 Honor it

takes more points to increase your honor level.

 

The Honor system serves two purposes. First, since higher honor players have

first choice at squad roles (and the weapons that come with each position),

the system rewards better, more experienced players by giving them their

choice of weapons. Secondly, since you will lose honor for violating the Rules

of Engagement (ROE), i.e. by firing on or killing your own teammates, the

level of PKing is much less that it would otherwise be.

 

It's important to note that the Honor system does not punish poor players. If

you are on the losing team, you will NOT lose any Honor points. Instead you

will just gain Honor at a slower pace. The only time where you would lose

honor is if you violate the Rules of Engagement.

 

*** 3b. Rules of Engagement ***

 

Since AAO is designed to faithfully recreate the Army experience, friendly fire

(FF) is always ON. Thus, an errant shot or a badly thrown grenade will kill

your teammates. It is therefore very important that you understand the Rules

of Engagement when playing. Failure to do so will very quickly wipe out your

honor and result in your account being banned.

 

The following are some useful tips in making sure that you never fire on your

teammates:

 

1. Know the difference in appearance between your team and the opposing forces

   (OpFor). In particular, your teammates will always be wearing:

       - a helmet

       - a backpack

       - camouflage clothing

 

   The OpFor will always be wearing:

       - no helmet

       - no backpack

       - single color, drab style clothing

 

2. Know the difference between the sound of US weapons and OpFor weapons. AKs

   of all types have distinctive *clack-clack* sound. Listen for this sound as

   it is a good indication that an enemy is nearby. *Note* This is not always

   reliable as your teammates might be firing OpFor weapons that they have

   picked up.

 

3. Do not impulsively fire on targets that you cannot identify. It takes only a

   few shots to kill and an TK can wipe out your points for the entire round.

 

4. Never throw grenades unless you are positive there are no teammates nearby.

   Grenades are very powerful in this game and will kill in a large radius.

 

5. Watch for messages indicating that you have attacked a teammate and stop

   firing immediately if this happens.

 

6. Report your position often (default key is "u") and watch for the reports of

   other players. This helps everyone keep track of each other's positions.

 

*** 3c. Health ***

 

In AAO your health is indicated by the color of the soldier icon in the lower

right corner of your screen. Green means you are healthy, yellow indicates

that you have sustained moderate injury, and red means that you are near

death. A red flashing blood drop icon indicates that you are bleeding and will

lose health. Call for a medic (by pressing "m") to stop the bleeding.

 

Your health has consequences on your movement and accuracy. The lower your

health the slower you will move and the less accurate you will become. It is

therefore very important that you avoid taking damage!

 

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Section 4: Movement

 

AAO has a wide array of movement options which affect your movement speed,

weapon accuracy, and stealth. There are three movement positions that you can

be in: standing, crouching, or prone. Each position allows you to fast move or

slow move (toggled by the Shift key). Furthermore when you are standing you

can sprint for even faster speed (by double tapping and holding the W key or

toggling the Alt key). You can also jump by pressing the Space Bar.

 

These movement options have the following effects:

 

Standing:

 - Sprinting: You will move the fastest. However you will lower your weapon

   and will not be able to fire it unless you come to a stop.

 - Fast move: The default movement option. You will move at the second fastest

   speed but your accuracy potential will the be lowest possible.

 - Slow move: You will move at half the fast move speed. However you will be

   more accurate. Furthermore if you have your sights up (by pressing Z), you

   will move without lowering your weapon.

 

Crouching:

 - You will move slower than standing but have greater accuracy. Slow crouch

   moving is faster than fast crouch moving.

 

Prone:

 - You will move the slowest but you will have the greatest accuracy.

 

When you are motionless you can lean around corners and roll side to side. This

is very important in close quarter combat (in hallways and such) so you should

be aware of it. Since default keys (comma and period) are too awkward to reach

I recommend you check the "toggle lean" option and bind the lean left and

right functions to scroll up and scroll down on your mouse. This will make it

effortless to lean around corners and more importantly allow you to keep your

fingers on the movement keys.

 

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Section 5: Shooting

 

Aiming in AAO is modeled much more realistically than in other games. Effects

such as bullet drop and firing position are accurately simulated. The

following are some tips to help you hit your target:

 

Riflemen:

 

1. When your target is far away, switch to single shot mode and use your

   sights (press Z)! For the M16 or the M4, you want to line the top of the

   post with your target's center of mass and fire. Readjust your sights after

   every 2-3 single shots. If you are using the M4A1, just put the red dot on

   the enemy and tap out single shots. Try to be in a prone position and do

   not move while firing. Also try to fire at the pauses in your breathing.

 

2. If your target is at medium range, switch to burst/automatic but still use

   your sights. Aim at the enemy's center of mass. You can be crouching or

   prone. Do not move while firing.

 

3. If your target is very close, switch to burst/automatic and use your

   crosshairs. You do not need to bring up your sights at this range. Aim for

   the enemy's chest or head and sweep your crosshair left-right slightly. You

   can move around (fast walk or fast crouch) if you wish.

 

Automatic Riflemen:

 

1. When your target is far away, you have very limited chances of hitting him.

   Instead, your job is to shoot in his general area to provide cover for your

   team's riflemen or snipers to close in and engage the target. Your fire will

   lower the target's accuracy potential if it lands near him. In this

   situation you want to be prone, have your M249 supported and be firing shots

   of 6-8 bullets at your target with your sights up.

 

2. If your target is at a medium range, it is still best to be prone and have

   your weapon supported. However crouching is okay too. Sights are preferred

   but not entirely necessary. Fire in 6-8 shot bursts at the enemy until he

   dies.

 

3. In close combat, you have an overwhelming advantage. Do not use your

   sights. Put your crosshairs over the target, sweep slightly left-right and

   keep firing until your target is killed. Move toward your target to get

   a better shot.

 

Grenadiers:

 

1. Grenadiers equipped with the M203 grenade launcher are the sole means of

   indirect fire. Unfortunately, the game does not provide you with a good

   means of aiming the weapon. While your crosshair will let you accurately

   fire in the direction of the enemy, the range that your grenade will hit can

   only be judged by your experience. The best tip if you are a grenadier is to

   learn the map and especially learn how to accurately fire grenades into

   important windows, doorways, hills, and other positions.

 

2. The M203 is useless at close range as your grenade will not detonate under

   150 meters. Switch to rifle mode if you are in close range combat.

 

Snipers:

 

1. Snipers are only useful in medium to long range combat. Furthermore, since

   your scope moves with your breathing and jerks heavily when you fire, they

   are NOT the wonder weapons of games like Counterstrike.

 

2. When playing as the sniper you should always be prone and supported.

 

3. When engaging targets always try to aim for the head or chest. Other shots

   will not be 1-hit kills and will often bring enemy fire in your direction.

 

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Section 6: Close Quarter Combat

 

Close quarter combat (CQB) is very important for certain popular maps such as

Weapons Cache or Insurgent Camp. Such combat typically happens inside buildings

and are very fast affairs. The following are some useful tips for CQB:

 

1. Always use burst or full auto and never use your sights. Your crosshairs

   give you a wider field of vision and the accuracy penalty you incur is

   negligible. An exception to this rule is if you have the M4A1 with its reflex

   sight. Since the FOV on the reflex is very large it can be useful in a

   defensive position or if the target is at a somewhat longer range.

 

2. If you are ambushing, crouch instead of lying in a prone position. You will

   lose mobility when prone and present a BIGGER target if the enemy is close.

 

3. Machine guns (M249 and RPK) are much more deadly than rifles. They have more

   ammo and also decrease the enemy's accuracy significantly. If you get

   involved in a standing fight with an enemy with either the M249 or the RPK,

   RUN AWAY and use grenades. You will almost certainly not win the fight

   unless you are much better than the enemy. If you are in a defensive

   position you have an even chance of taking the enemy out as long as you get

   the first shot off.

 

4. Try to get a machine gun off dead bodies. Both the M249 and RPK are better

   than the M4 or M16. Try to get the RPK especially as it has more ammo and

   its bullets are more powerful.

 

5. In a similar vein, if you have the M16 pick up enemy AKs if you can't find

   any RPKs. AKs have full auto and more powerful bullets and are thus better

   in CQB. If you have the M4 then it isn't necessary because you have full

   auto as well. Do pick up RPKs though.

 

6. Learn to use grenades but be careful of friendly fire. One frag grenade will

   kill everyone inside a small room. If you see a bunch of enemies entering a

   particular room (and made sure that there were no friendlies with them),

   throw a frag grenade in (cook it off first) and watch the fun. If you are

   entering a room, it's better to use stun grenades than frag grenades. Stun

   grenades have a wider radius of effect and can affect players shielded by

   walls. Also their fuses are much shorter and so they are harder to avoid. Do

   not cook off stun grenades.

 

7. Learn to lean around corners. This is very important because by doing so you

   shield most of your body from enemy fire. Bind your lean keys to your scroll

   wheel and turn on toggle leaning. When you reach a corner or a doorway,

   stop and lean in to see if there are any enemies inside.

 

8. Try to stick with a teammate. In AAO, firefights are very fast and you want

   all the help you can get.

 

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Section 7: Extended Range Engagements

 

Extended range engagements are important for maps such as Bridge and Mountain

Pass. The following are some tips for such fights:

 

1. Teamwork is paramount. Enemies are far away and not easily seen. Report any

   enemies you see and rely on your team.

 

2. Do not go gun ho and engage the enemy. They will most likely be in hiding

   and you will be shot for running like a fool across the battlefield.

 

3. Snipers and grenadiers are very important and will provide the bulk of the

   kills. They can accurately engage enemies at long distances whereas players

   with the M16 or M249 cannot. If you are a sniper or grenadier, try to get

   your team to help you out. If you are a rifleman or automatic rifleman,

   support your snipers and grenadiers and call out targets.

 

4. Use your binoculars if you have them.

 

5. If you are assault, try to move as a team have have your sniper/grenadier

   provide cover. Use smoke at strategic choke points to cover your movements.

 

6. If you are on defense, try to pick out a hiding position and lie prone. Try

   to be with at least one other teammate for support.

 

7. If you are seen and enemy fire is coming your way, try to finish your target

   off. If you feel that you cannot do this, stay prone and back away. If you

   hear or see a grenade being sent your way, sprint and pray that it doesn't

   hit you.

 

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Section 8: Weapon Analyses

 

There are four types of weapons in AAO: 1) Assault rifles (M16, M4, AK47,

AK74SU) 2) Machine guns (M249 SAW, RPK) 3) Grenade launchers (M203, GP30) and

4) Sniper rifles (M24, M82A1, SVD, Mosin-Nagant). The following are some

analyses of their use:

 

Assault Rifles:

 

Loadout: 6 clips of 30 bullets each.

 

The M16 is the most accurate of the three and is the best for medium to long

range engagements. The M4 is almost as good as the M16 at long range but much

better at close range due to its full auto capability. Also the reflex sight

on the M4A1 is much easier to use than the iron sights of the M16. The

AK47/AK74SU are much less accurate than the M16/M4 due to their inferior

sights and the accuracy penalty the game sets on using OpFor weapons. However,

their bullets are more powerful and their full auto capability make them very

useful at close range.

 

Machine Guns:

 

Loadout: 200/3 clips for M249, 100/3 clips for RPK

 

The M249 is in general better than the RPK at all ranges except close range. It

has more ammo (200 vs. 100) and is more accurate when supported. In close

range, however, the RPK is the king of all weapons since it has enough ammo to

be useful and its bullets are more powerful than the M249's.

 

Grenade Launchers:

 

Loadout: 7 grenades, reload after each shot

 

Both grenade launchers are basically the same.

 

Sniper rifles:

 

You will get either the M24 or M82 depending on the map and cannot choose

between the two. They function pretty much the same. The Mosin Nagant is the

enemy version of the M24 and the SVD is the enemy version of the M82. Note

that neither can be supported and thus are far less accurate. Only pick up

opposing sniper rifles if you are desperate or are just goofing around.

 

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Section 9: Teamplay

 

Teamplay is critical to success in AAO. A good team that sticks together and

communicates will always win. Unfortunately in most online games players run

off and do their own thing. If you find yourself in this situation try to

stick with another player and provide back up for him. You will be more

effective. At the very least you should report in often by pressing "u".

 

If you are playing with a friend or a clan then you are in luck. Coordinate

your movements and you will easily dominate the map.

 

Finally, fireteam and squad leaders who stick with their teammates give them a

higher accuracy potential. Keep this in mind and stick with your leaders!

 

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Section 10: Tips for Counterstrike players

 

Counterstrike players who switch to AAO are often frustrated by their lack of

success. Here are some tips to get better:

 

1. Unlike Counterstrike, your score is not based solely on the number of your

   kills. Instead, a very heavy percentage of your total score is based on

   your team accomplishing its objectives and you being a good team player.

   Therefore play to win the objectives and not to kill the most people

   possible.

 

2. Do not impulsively fire at everything you see. If you hit or kill your

   teammates you will lose a LOT of points. Especially do not throw grenades

   at places where your teammates might be.

 

3. Your movement speed is much slower than in Counterstrike making the game

   slower paced. However, firefights end much sooner so the action parts are

   more intense.

 

4. Aiming is much more realistic. At close range you will hit what you put your

   crosshairs on so don't be afraid to go full auto. At long ranges, however

   use your sights and fire single shots from a prone position.

 

5. Headshots are not important unless you are a sniper. Don't go for them. In

   any case 3-5 bullets will kill any enemy.

 

6. Watch your ammo. Guns fire much faster than Counterstrike and reload times

   are much longer. There are also no pistols to provide backup.

 

7. Grenades are completely different. A grenade will kill anyone nearby no

   matter their health. However, grenades take much longer to prep and throw.

   They also explode with a delay unless you cook them off. Stun grenades are

   also much better because their effect lasts for ~30 seconds so use them

   often.

 

8. Teamwork is much more important. There is almost no chance of you taking on

   the other squad on your own so don't try!

 

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Section 11: Contact Info

 

Contact me via email at spam_bank@yahoo.com

 

All comments and suggestions are welcome. Your contributions will be

acknowledged in future updates.

 

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Section 12: Acknowledgments

 

The Dev Team for making the best FPS out there.

The US Army for supporting the project.