Is it safe to download Tribes: Ascend via Steam?

[[FL]Fatso on the run™]

Also, is there any third party programs involved?

[Gozua]

yeah its safe. After you download when you start the game it will open a launcher and after you press play you will then have to create a hi rez account to play the game. (Unless you already have one then you just log in. lol)

[Spites]

I don't understand what OP means by "safe"?

[[FL]Fatso on the run™]

I've read an article on Reddit that Tribes: Ascend installs something called HiRezService.exe which is used to detect blacklisted software only when the game is running. But according to the article it also runs when the game isn't running and still scans for software HiRez don't approve.

I've also read a post on the Steam forums for Tribes: Ascend that a trojan virus was included in the download which shut down any antivirus software and the firewall on the computer.

I'm not that fond of having these things in my computer, so I'd like to know if any of you have had a similar experiences/problems with the download ... via Steam.

[Spites]

Originally posted by FLFatso on the run™:

I've read an article on Reddit that Tribes: Ascend installs something called HiRezService.exe which is used to detect blacklisted software only when the game is running. But according to the article it also runs when the game isn't running and still scans for software HiRez don't approve.

I've also read a post on the Steam forums for Tribes: Ascend that a trojan virus was included in the download which shut down any antivirus software and the firewall on the computer.

I'm not that fond of having these things in my computer, so I'd like to know if any of you have had a similar experiences/problems with the download ... via Steam.

Ah that makes sense. But in response to your question I can't say I've ever heard of a virus on steam.

[[FL]Fatso on the run™]

I see. How about any third party programs like the one in the Reddit article?
Are there any scanners included in the download?

[Sauce]

The only application I see running when the game is not active is hirezpatchservice, I've had this game installed since launch [2-3 years?] without any issue. If somebody found a trojan from the patcher I think it would either be a false-positive or attacked from a different source with malicious intent.

This game is produced by a relatively high profile company and would not intentionally put your security at risk.

People complaining about viruses likely caught them from somewhere else [torrenting/porn/unsafe websites] and in turn could have had these files compromised.

Safe to download...!

[Ponut]

I've had Hi-Rez products installed both with Steam and not with Steam for awhile now. The HiRezPatchService has never caused me any problems, and I've even used CheatEngine on a few offline games at times. Even RKill, AdwCleaner and ComboFix do NOT bark about the service nor do they kill it. I do NOT have any evidence whatsoever of HiRezPatchService causing issues.

[beans]

The patcher that runs in the background doesn't interface with anything outside of Tribes or other hi-rez games. I've never really seen it take up a considerable amount of CPU or RAM, and it doesn't do anything on its own.

I'd advise not going off of individual reports, and instead going off of general consensus. Yes, sometimes there's a trojan or a virus. However, in the majority of situations, there isn't, and the people that are saying there is aren't reliable. If you assume anyone who says there's a virus is telling the truth and anyone who says there isn't is not, you're bound to be manipulated by misinformation.

Check in multiple places and never assume that one person is right, no matter how large their claim is. It's a common tactic to attack a product you don't like by trying to scare people away from it.

[Hinsonator]

The only danger are the toxic kids that say the new additions are bad because they're "old" or "outdated," although i wouldn't be suprised if those kids moved onto Planetside 2 and made some friends there.