America's Army update coming soon

The US Army has announced that it's planning to release a sizeable update for America's Army: Operations later today. The update, which GameSpot Complete members will be able to download right here, will fix a number of bugs found in previous versions and also add several new features to the game.

The new features introduced in the update will include a combat effectiveness meter that lets players know how effective they are based on their speed, posture, native weapon class, proximity to leaders, health, whether or not they are under fire, and a number of other factors. Also new in the update is an online honor system designed to encourage players to adhere to the same rules of engagement that real soldiers are expected to. All players will start out with an honor rating of 10, which will rise or fall depending on how well they perform as part of a team and whether or not they're behaving themselves in the field. The honor rating will affect players' account status, and players will eventually be rewarded or penalized in the game according to their rating.

A new map called Mountain Pass will also be introduced in today's update. This is a snowy outdoor map designed as a continuation of the battle that began on the Bridge Assault map. The map will be the largest to be released for the game to date, and it will feature a convoy that needs to be reached and assaulted or defended from enemy attack, depending on which of the two teams the player is fighting for.

America's Army: Operations is a realistic tactical shooter that was developed by the US Army and released, free of charge, in July of this year. For more information, check out our previous coverage of the game.