In order to play America's Army: Proving Grounds you will first need to create an account. When you initially launch America's Army: Proving Grounds from Steam a login window will appear.



Select the CREATE ACCOUNT button to proceed to the the account creation page.



Enter the email address you want associated with your account and the password you want to use, confirming each. Finally enter the Soldier name you would like to be known as in the game. Please ensure that the email is correct and accessible as you will need to verify your account before you can use it. Also ensure to use a secure password, details of how to make your password secure can be found later in this document.

Once you have entered your details, select CREATE to complete the process.

At this point the Loader will launch and you will be able to play. However you will also be sent a verification email to which you must respond. If you do not verify your account within 7 days it will be marked for deletion and you will need to start again.

Once you have logged in to your account and loaded the game you will be able to do some basic setup tasks which you can complete from the in-game SETTINGS menu. The Settings Menu is accessible via the Cog Icon illustrated below.

The Launcher Settings dialog enables you to :

• Enable PunkBuster
  
• Update PunkBuster
  
• Install and Test PunkBuster

The VIDEO settings dialog enables you to set up:

• Screen resolution
  
• Detail level
  
• Full or windowed screen
  
• Advanced graphics settings such as anisotropy and shading

The AUDIO settings dialog enables you to set up:

• Master volume
  
• Radio call volume
  
• Music volume
  
• Effects volume
  
• Received VOIP volume level

The PLAYER EXPERIENCE settings dialog enables you to set up:

• Enable/Disable VOIP
  
• Enable/Disable paintball mode
  
• Enable/Disable text chat

Select a server from the BROWSE SERVERS tab in the Launcher. You can filter servers using the options on the left according to:

• Show AA: Proving Grounds Official game servers only
  
• Show empty servers
  
• Show full servers
  
• Show veteran mode only
  
• Hide private or password locked servers
  
• Ping or latency
  
• Number of open player slots
  
• Map name
  
• Mission objective
  
• Mission type, BDX or FLO
  
• Server type, Internet or LAN

Once you have found the server you want simply double click it in the list to launch the game.

Additionally if you know the IP address of the server you want to join you can insert it in the IP address filter in the left navigation pane.

There are two broad categories that Proving Grounds missions fall into. A Forward Line Operation or FLO, takes place on larger maps between two squads of 12 each (12v12). The Battle Drill Exercise or BDX, takes place on smaller maps often with more focused missions between two fire teams of 6 each (6v6).

FLO missions generally run longer per round than a BDX mission with fewer rounds required to win the match.

BDX missions are meant to be more like speed chess – rapid engagements where a small team can organize a strategy, try it out, then quickly re-evaluate and execute a different strategy in response to their opponents actions. BDX missions are generally much shorter with more rounds required to win the match. While the speed of game play is ultimately up to the players, game play tends to be much faster on BDX maps.

There are three primary objective types currently in Proving Grounds.

Extract

• The Assault team must locate and secure the objective, represented by the 2/56 LRCA-R Guidon Flag.
  
• After securing the objective, the Assault team must carry the flag to the marked extract location
  
• If the flag carrier is neutralized, the flag is dropped where it will remain until either it is picked up again or the round ends.
  
• The Defense team cannot interact with the Guidon Flag. Their only mission is to neutralize the entire Assault team before they can move the flag to the extraction zone.
  
• If the entire Defense team is neutralized, Assault wins the round. If time expires before the flag reached the extraction zone, Defense wins.

Activate

• The Assault team is tasked with locating up to 3 devices placed around the level.
  
• Activating the devices requires 8 seconds of uninterrupted interaction.
  
• Defense cannot interact with the objectives. Their only mission is to neutralize the entire Assault team before they can activate all of the devices.
  
• If the entire Defense team is neutralized, Assault wins the round. If time expires before Assault activates all of the devices, Defense wins.

Destroy

• The Assault team must locate and arm explosives at a marked location
  
• Once armed, the Assault team must make sure Defense doesn't disarm the explosives
  
• Defense is tasked with preventing the explosives from being armed. In the event that the explosive become armed, Defense must disarm the explosives before they detonate.
  
• Even if the entire Assault team is wiped out, if the explosives are armed Defense must still successfully disarm them to win round.
  
• If the entire Defense team is neutralized, Assault wins the round. If the timer expires, Defense scores the win.

Upon entering a server, you will be presented with a list of players on Alpha and Bravo teams. Select which team you would like to join by clicking on the associated Unit Patch icon.



If a round is in progress, you will be put on the team but will be a spectator until the match ends. If both teams are full, you can still opt to join the spectator team, and can join a team through the ESC menu when room is available.

At the beginning of a round you will see a screen allowing you to select your primary weapon, primary weapon optic, and the grenades you will enter the match with. Optics differ depending on the choice of weapon. You can bring this screen up at any time using the F1 key. Changes made during a round will not take effect until the next round begins.

The damage dealt by a successful shot is determined by two things; the caliber of the round fired, and the location on the body that was hit. Damage is consistent across calibers, meaning that the 5.56x45mm round fired by an M4 does exactly as much damage as the same round fired by the M249. The 7.62x51mm round fired by the M14EBR-RI does more damage, and the 9x19mm round fired by the M9 does less.

There are two types of damage one can receive; instant damage and bleeding. Instant damage is as it sounds – an amount of damage instantly dealt to the enemy’s health. Bleeding is essentially damage sustained over time, and can be stopped by bandaging. Bandaging uses the key by default, which must be held for ~2 seconds while still. Players do not bleed out to incapacitation.

An enemy will be neutralized with shot to the head made with any weapon with the exception of the shotgun. The head takes increased damage from each pellet to compensate, but a single shotgun pellet will not neutralize an enemy at full health. Shots to the torso result in more damage than bleeding. The pelvis is essentially evenly split, and shots to the arms and legs result in more bleeding than damage.

There are four grenade types to choose from, and two slots to put them in. The two grenade throw keys, [G] and [F] by default, correspond to slots 1 and 2. Some grenades can be ‘cooked’ by holding down the key before releasing; cooking a grenade for too long has dire consequences.

• M67 Fragmentation Grenade – Only one can be carried. ‘Frag’ grenades deal lethal damage in a small blast radius around where they explode. The effect of the frag lessens with distance. Frags can be cooked.
  
• M83 Smoke Grenade – Two can be carried in each slot, up to four total. The 83 nades billow and plume over ~30 seconds to provide maximum coverage in a small area.
  
• M106 Fast Obscurant Grenade – Two can be carried in each slot, up to four total. The FOG burst provides instant cover, and can be air burst to block sight from an elevated position. Cooking is possible, but not advised – the burst severely damages the user’s hand.
  
• M84 Stun Grenade – the M84 ‘Flashbang’ is intended for disabling and disorienting enemies in rooms. Victims experience temporary blindness and deafness as well as some disorienting visual jitter from the pressure. These effects are lessened if the victim is looking away, there is obstruction between the victim and the grenade, or if the victim is not inside a room with the grenade. The severity also tapers off with distance

Unsighted fire is subject to an ‘Accuracy cone’ that spreads based on the weapon used, stamina, suppression, and other factors. That is to say, if you have not been sprinting and are using an M4, your spread will be very tightly controlled. If you have been sprinting extensively with an M249, your spread will be very large.

Sighted fire is governed by sway and recoil control, with minor accuracy cone spread on certain weapons. That means that the round will go roughly where the sight picture indicates. Sprinting will increase both your sway and recoil when aiming and firing, as will the amount of suppressive fire you are under. In either case, it is generally best to fire in controlled bursts.

One more influence on proper aiming is bullet drop. This is only apparent in long-range engagements and affects rounds of different calibers accordingly. That means the 5.56x45mm round fired by the M4 and M249 drops more than the 7.62x51mm round fired by the M14EBR-RI – the larger 7.62x51mm round is accurate much further out, meaning it drops much more slowly.

If you run out of ammo, you can always find a buddy and take spare ammo with [E] key by default. This spare ammo is not taken from your buddy’s inventory, so it’s a win/win.

The HUD lists the following information: Clockwise starting from the top center

• Timer/player pips
  
• Round Data/Mission Brief (Only during round start)
  
• Player info, mags/firing mode/etc
  
• Compass/Player Tracker
  
• Chat/Scoring Notification

The default control set is as follows:

The option to use an Xbox controller is available but not yet fully supported.


Four layouts are available to choose from:

• Default
  
• Southpaw (bumpers and triggers swapped)
  
• COD Style (mimics COD layout)
  
• BF3 Style (mimics BF3 layout)

Aiming with a controller is more difficult than with a mouse simply due to the mechanics of the two systems. To help combat the game pad's inherent difficultly aim assist is implemented.

Aim assist consists of two systems which complement one another:

• Sensitivity
  
• Magnetism

Sensitivity is a measure of how quickly the crosshair moves in relation to the amount of input on the analog stick. In a scenario with no targets sensitivity is constant - moving the stick a little moves the crosshair a corresponding small amount and similarly for a large movement on the stick.

When a target is in view however, as the target is closer and closer to the crosshair the lower sensitivity gets. The effect is slower crosshair movement across a target


Magnetism is the tendency of the crosshair to "float" towards a target near the crosshair. The closer to the crosshair the stronger the attraction.

Effective use of posture is key in Proving Grounds combat. Moving while sighted slows you down a bit in all postures, for added precision. The main postures are as follows:

• Fastest movement
  
• Sprinting is done in this posture only
  
• Largest Silhouette
  
• Loudest movement sounds
  
• Worst weapon control

• Medium movement speed
  
• Sliding (Sprint + crouch) ends in this posture
  
• Medium silhouette
  
• Medium movement sounds
  
• weapon control

Slowest movement speed
Diving (sprint + prone) ends in this posture
Least manoeuvrable posture
Quietest movement sounds
Best weapon control

A player that takes enough damage is incapacitated, and can no longer take damage. That player can still communicate over Voice or Text chat until they are secured, and can be revived by friendly players.



Reviving requires a friendly player to move close enough to interact with the incapacitated player and hold the interact key ([E] by default) for ~2 consecutive seconds. A player cannot be revived more than twice, and will be revived with less health if that player was neutralized by a shot to the head.



Secure incapacitated enemies using the interact key ([E] by default). Secured players are removed from the round after 5 seconds, cannot communicate by in-game voice or text chat to their team, and are restricted to spectating their teammates in first-person (by default). They can, however, still be revived within the 5 second window.

Communication with your team is primarily done through Voice chat. This requires a Microphone and using the Team Voice Chat button ([V] by default) to speak. Some You can also use [T], [Y], or [Enter] to type into text chat. [T] will go to team only, while [Y] is global.
You can also communicate with your team by spotting enemies, especially when you can’t effectively engage them yourself. Do this by pressing the Spot key ([Q] by default) while an enemy is clearly in view and near the center of your screen. All targets in view will be spotted. You’ll receive points for enemies your teammates neutralize.

An enemy player can be neutralized from behind by performing a Take-down, Left [Ctrl] key by default. Take-downs do not alert nearby enemies with sound, though the victim may still use Voice chat to alert nearby teammates.

Some horizontal surfaces provide a supported firing position, allowing you to steady your weapon for massive bonuses to weapon control. You can anchor to objects using the [Z] key, but keep in mind that not all objects can be anchored to. Those anchorable object will be marked with a dialog box when you approach them. Movement changes slightly when supported – lateral movement ([A] and [D] keys by default) will strafe along the surface. Backward movement ([S] by default) and turning too far with the mouse will remove you from the supported position.

The scoreboard displays several important stats:

• Number of rounds played in the match and their outcomes
  
• How many times a player has been neutralized, how many times a player has neutralized others
  
• Overall cumulative score (revives, assists, actions in support of objectives, etc)
  
• Discrete stats for the match displayed near the bottom of the scoreboard, such as take-downs, revives, etc.
  
• Player Ping
  
• Mute Player button