Q: What are the game types that will be in AA3?

A: There are six game types that will ship with the initial version of AA3:

• Assault/Defend
• Destroy/Protect
• Extract/Defend
• Conquer & Hold
• VIP Escort/Ambush
• Assault Alpha/Assault Beta

Q: How do the different game types work?

A: Assault/Defend is one of the classic AA game types. One team is protecting something; the other is trying to attack it.  The classic Pipeline game play is a good example. Defense is trying to prevent the assaulting team from either securing the three valves or taking the primary control panel.

Destroy/Protect is similar to Assault/Defend; however, the win condition is tied to destroying one or more objectives.  The number of destructible objectives is set by a level designer, and with this type of game play the "destroy" role is usually tied to a specific type of weapon such as an incendiary grenade.

Extract/Defend is a transportable objective mission.  An objective, such as a laptop containing sensitive information, is placed somewhere inside the level and the teams are required to get to it, pick it up and take it to an extraction point to win.

VIP Escort/Ambush is another classic AA game play type.  One team has a VIP who must be safely escorted to an extraction point for the VIP team to win. The ambush team must prevent that VIP from reaching the escape point.

Conquer & Hold is a game type that has one or more objective points on the map that must be captured by occupying the objective volume until the capture meter fills up.  Captured objective zones don't always stay that way though. They can be "turned" by the team if they are left unguarded.

Assault Alpha/Assault Beta is pretty much what it sounds like.  Both teams are assaulting the same objective.  This is different from the Attack/Defend game play in that neither team is set up in a defensive posture. They both must move quickly to get to assault the objective before the other team does.

Q: What game type will be available on the classic Bridge and Pipeline maps?

A: All of the maps that ship with AA3 will have three separate game play types available.  In the case of Bridge and Pipeline, one of those game types is considered "classic play".  

Q: In version 2.x, the standard match was seven rounds.  Is that how AA3 will work?

A: There have been a few modifications to how the match structure works.  Matches will be six rounds. After the first three rounds, there will be an automatic swapping, i.e., Assaulters become Defenders in an Assault/Defend match and vice versa.  If at the end of the match there is a tie, one of two tie breakers is available -- by score or by a sudden death round.  Which technique is used will be based on a server setting and is up to individual server administrators to decide.

Q: Are there plans to port any of the other 2.x maps?

A: There are no definitive plans to port other maps at this time.  The possibility remains open for future releases.