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Real players completing objectives against AI.

Just wanted to clarify that what we're talking about is the AA 2.8.5 NPCs, right? Or did someone actually implement AI into 2.8.5? I'm sure there's plenty of people who'd love to kill AI nowadays!

There's no issues with the login handshake as far as I can tell.

What you can try is disconnect the PC from the landline internet and connect through a mobile hotspot.
That's not obviously a permanent solution, but if the mobile hotspot scenario works, it's most likely your ISP blocking some ports. Some ISPs have been known to block some ports. So while the login itself is successful, subsequent packets won't be able to be sent.

Haven't heard of this specific issue before.


This is what ChatGPT suggests:

Yeah, that “MSVCdll” isn’t an actual DLL file name — it’s shorthand (or more likely, a truncated/obscured message) referring to one of the Microsoft Visual C++ runtime libraries the game depends on.

America’s Army 2.5 (and many other UE 2.x era games) were built with Visual C++ 2003 or 2005, so on a clean Windows XP install, they’ll fail to start because those runtime DLLs (like MSVCR71.dll, MSVCP71.dll, or MSVCR80.dll) aren’t present.

Here’s what’s likely happening and how to fix it:

🔍 What’s really missing

Depending on the exact build:

UE2.5-era builds (circa 2003–2004) → use MSVCR71.dll and MSVCP71.dll (Visual C++ .NET 2003 runtime)

Slightly later community builds or Assist launcher → may require MSVCR80.dll / MSVCP80.dll (Visual C++ 2005 runtime)

🛠️ How to fix

Check which DLL is actually missing:

Run ArmyOps.exe directly and note the exact filename in the error.

Or use Dependency Walker
 on ArmyOps.exe to see which DLLs are unresolved.

If it’s MSVCR71/MSVCP71:

These DLLs are from the Visual C++ 2003 runtime, which Microsoft no longer distributes, but they’re safe to obtain from a known-good Windows XP machine or from legitimate redistributables bundled with older software.

They should go in either:

C:\Windows\System32\

Or directly in the Army Operations game folder (next to ArmyOps.exe).

If it’s MSVCR80/MSVCP80:

Install the Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Redistributable (x86).

File name: vcredist_x86.exe

Official Microsoft link (still available):
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=3387

If Assist is involved:

Make sure you’re running the Assist launcher compatible with XP (some newer Assist versions assume Vista+ and bundle newer VC++ runtimes).

TL;DR:
“MSVCdll” is shorthand for a missing Microsoft Visual C++ runtime file (like MSVCR71.dll).
✅ Solution: install the correct VC++ runtime (2003 or 2005) or copy those DLLs next to ArmyOps.exe.

Would you like me to identify exactly which runtime version ArmyOps.exe from the AA2.5 Assist distribution depends on? I can do that by checking its PE headers (you can just share the executable’s hash or version info).

Don't know anything about Fortnite (other than having heard about it and probably seen a snippet or 2 of gameplay here or there). Is there an editor it comes with?

Nothing is stopping you from just opening up an AA mapp offline, flying about, and recreating the same thing on a different editor.

Now, just because nothing is stopping you from doing it, doesn't mean you have the rights to do that. The game (and thus its assets such as the maps) come with the EULA (you can read it here). It's quite clear on the fact that the end user does not have the right to reproduce the creative works:

you may not copy, reproduce, distribute, publish, display, perform, modify, create derivative works

Now if you were to choose to ignore the EULA, that's up to you.

Yeah, me too was wondering if there are ways to avoid lag or other things. I noticed even alone testing in these first minutes I came back that there is some lag.
Anyway this can be contextual to the non activity of server. Or maybe some settings I changed?
My pc is capable to handle high settings and actually good pc do not work well with low settings.
I believe it's not a matter of high graphics here, right?
The internet is what it is around 15Mbps and 1 in upload.

It's important to distinguish between lag/latency and performance issues.

It's a lag/latency issue if your inputs take a while to reach the server. Usually this will mean that everything looks smooth on the screen, but you're unable to make jumps or hit targets because your packets arrive too late.

If it's a performance issue, you may see stuttering (i.e stuck on the same frame for too long) or something like that. It's nothing to do with the latency to the server, but rather the performance of the local machine.

With that said, your situation sounds like the latter. I'm sure you have a powerful machine. And in fact, for years now, PCs that are too powerful have been the issue. I don't know the exact details as to why. But they end up trying to push out more and more frames, and then at some point something breaks. And as a result you have a worse experience than you would on a lower specced PC.
My understanding is that (if this is the issue) you normally want to cap the max FPS to something reasonable. Maybe this will be of help:
https://aao25.com/forum/support/fps-locked-at-85fps/
I think I've also read / heard of people setting their max FPS through the graphics drivers. Perhaps that was in the discord  since I wasn't able to find it here. I don't know for sure since I don't have that issue - I run on a 7 year old laptop (whenever I do play).

FOR AA: SF etc.. I mean the first one 2001\2002... what is the correct game file to download?

I guess it's from MODDataBase.. Could anyone point out?
OR maybe these info are in the forum.. sorry.

The first version of AA was in fact NOT SF It was released on July 4 2002. See the wiki page from a few years later for release dates. Special Forces was 2.0 in November 2002 (see AA2 release dates in our wiki).

With that said, if you wish to play the game online through 25Assist, you'll just need to download the 25Assist client. It'll deal with the installation of the game for you. It's a somewhat modified AA 2.5 (e.g it's got the addition of the SAI / minimap as well as shorter flash durations).

sorry, by client i was thinking about game files overall not a pop-up window. day later i cant log-in, no mater how many times i reset password it says wrong password for this user

Again, there is no login required to download the 25Assist client. Just follow the Downloads link above.

Though if you've downloaded the client and are unable to log in, it's likely due to you using the aao25.com forum account to log in to the 25Assist client. The aao25.com forum account (the one you used to post here) is separate from the 25Assist account (the one you use to log in to the client). You can create the 25Assist account by following the link for "Assist Account -> Register" at the top of the page.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you use your username to log in to the 25Assist client rather than the in game name. Though the most likely culprit is still the above (using the forum account instead of the game account).

With that said, I did find an old account (96 honor, last played in Feburary 2015) by the game name of "m4rt1^" (login name "M4Rt1"). But with a slightly different gmail account (drop the century/19). So if that's your account, you may be able to recover it instead of having to create a new account.

The one thing I will say is that sound is SUPER important in AA. Hell, you can hear people clear across maps sometimes.

And the thing with sound is that you can only really get great at using it with practice as well. Just because you can hear something from a direction isn't always the most useful. It's a question of what the enemy is doing. And that comes from experience in both knowing the map as well as knowing the sounds in game and when they happen / what they mean.

With that said, there's plenty of things that AA is quirky about other than just positioning, sound and map knowledge (experience).

• There's the quick swap to change into another weapon (or normally a flash / grenade).
  
• There's the hit box (in terms of grenades and 203s) not being affected by leaning (meaning you can look at a grenade as it blows up if you're leaning from behind a corner).
  
• There's the fact that small falls can accumulate (i.e just because you stay green after a fall doesn't mean it didn't do you damage).
  
• There's knowing where weapons fire in the ironsight (i.e it's not always in the centre of the sight, but always in the centre of the screen).
  
• There's the option of drop shooting a 203, but only in certain maps.
  
• There's knowing which slots give you what weapon in which map (all slots are not equal!).
  
• There's stopping a door mid close to have it open in an unexpected direction (usually in the face of the enemy).
  
• There's the ability to break glass by dropping a nade through it (making it a little more quiet than firing a bullet).
  
• There's the fact that your recoil can vary widely based on your state (i.e after running or getting shot your recoil will be higher, but when you're closer to the squad leader it'll be lower).
  
• There's the ability to bounce bullets off walls and floors (i.e shoot someone who's behind a car by shooting below it).
  
• And many, many more...