Depending on the platform you downloaded, you may need to extract/unpack the contents. You should find a location you would like to put these files. Make sure you copy 2.5Assist and the 2.5Assist Libs folder. Personally, I like to put it in my Start Menu since I use Windows.
Once you've found a location to place your files, start Assist. You will be using the 2.5Assist executable to play America's Army, so don't forget where you put these files!
Installing America's Army
Initial Steps and Installing/Finding America's Army 2.5
Once you start Assist, it will do some initial house-keeping so don't click cancel or block Assist while it gets itself ready. If you have a firewall (or antivirus) like me, it might ask you if you want to allow Assist to access the internet. Of course, allow Assist to access whatever it needs and make sure the firewall/antivirus remembers to allow Assist access in the future. This is important because you never know if Assist will stop working because the firewall/antivirus is blocking it.
Once Assist has completed some house-keeping, it will ask you about America's Army.
Using An Existing Installation
If you HAVE an America's Army 2.5 installation, click on FIND to locate it; 2.5Assist will copy that folder to its program folder. Here are the locations where Assist stores its files:
Linux: /home/USERNAME/25Assist/armyops/
Mac OSX: /Users/USERNAME/Library/Application Support/25Assist/armyops.app/
Windows XP: \Documents and settings\USERNAME\Application Data\25Assist\armyops\
Windows Vista/7: \Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\25Assist\armyops\
Download A New Installation
If you DO NOT HAVE an America's Army 2.5 installation, click on DOWNLOAD to download America's Army 2.5. Assist will download and verify each part (i.e., textures, sounds, maps, etc) so users will find relief if they have spotty internet connection since Assist can just redownload the part that failed.
Post Installation Steps
X-Fire Detected!
Assist will automatically detect if you have X-Fire installed. If you would like to register America's Army with X-Fire so you can start it from the X-Fire interface, click on the SETTINGS tab and then click ADD TO XFIRE.
Updating Punkbuster
You've gotten this far, so you must have America's Army installed now. In the case you used an existing installation, Assist will update Punkbuster. Otherwise, if you used a fresh installation, Punkbuster will be downloaded.
Border and Dusk Map Pack
Simply downloads and installs the Border and Dusk maps from America's Army 2.6.
mAAp Pack
Downloads and installs a compliation of custom maps for your America's Army 2.5 enjoyment. Includes well known maps such as AA3 Pipeline conversion, COD4 Shipment conversion, Pball, Teh Yeti's Lair, and more.
Login to America's Army and 2.5Assist
How To Register and Login
Since AA2 is no longer supported, players will need to know the central headquarters has changed. Your main dashboard, account/player information, and more is now located at AAOTracker/Battletracker. In order to play America's Army, you will need an account at Battletracker.
Register A New America's Army Account
If you do not have an America's Army account and are a new player, you must register for an account at Battletracker. If you already have an America's Army account, you can skip to the section titled Use An Existing America's Army Account/I Have An Account Already. Once you register an account, click on the link My Profile at the top of the page. Now click the Tracker Settings tab and enter your desired America's Army 2 username. Don't forget to click the submit button at the bottom of the page. Now you can skip to the section titled Login to America's Army and 2.5Assist
Use An Existing America's Army Account/I Have An Account Already
If you played America's Army before this is the section to read. If you remember the password you used to login to the America's Army game or official website, forget your password. It is no longer used because all America's Army 2 operations go through AAOTracker/Battletracker. Read on to find out how to login. If you do not have an AAOTracker/Battletracker account, you will need to create one following the steps above in Register A New America's Army Account. In the Tracker Settings tab, enter the America's Army username you used before to play. Do not forget to save. If you have an AAOTracker/Battletracker account, please login to Battletracker and verify the username you are using is the one you would like to use.
Login to America's Army and 2.5Assist
Once you get your account information as outlined above, you will login using 2.5Assist. In the Battletracker.com Account Login box, enter your username and password from your AAOTracker/Battletracker account and click LOG IN. Your account information will load and Assist will show you that information to the right. Congratulations, you are ready to move on.
Where Did My Honor Go?
If the honor you see is not correct don't worry! We can fix this you for you. Please make an honor claim and tell us the following information:
Please remember, we are searching some of this information for you so be patient and give us as much information as possible to make it easier.
Settings
Changing Your Game Settings
Settings are changed through 2.5Assist. Clicking on the SETTINGS tab allows you change various game settings. The image below shows the default settings.
If you change something and try to leave the tab, Assist will ask you if you want to save your changes. You probably want to click YES.
Changing Your Keys, Controls, and Keybinds
The quickest way to change your keys/controls is to click the AA SETTINGS button in Assist. This will open America's Army and allow you to go to the Settings menu where you can change all the options. To change your keys/controls, go to the INPUT tab and click CONFIGURE CONTROLS. After changing settings in America's Army, please close the game.
If you would like to add custom keybinds, you can click on the EDIT USER.INI button in the 2.5Assist SETTINGS tab. The user.ini file will then open.
Joining Servers and Playing Online
Joining Servers
Click on the DEPLOY tab in Assist to bring up a list of all servers. Clicking on the column names will sort the list by that column. Click on a server to view more information. Click the JOIN GAME button to join the server. If the server is password protected, you can enter the password in the bottom left box. Similarly, if you would like to join as a SPECTATOR ADMIN, enter the password and tick the join as Spectator Admin box.
Changing Servers
If you're playing America's Army and want to change or join a different server it's very easy. First, quit America's Army. 2.5Assist should still be open, so find the server you would like to join by checking the server list.
Linux
Mac OSX
Windows
