Is the .net framework required for most modern games

[Hardball]

I am running XP Pro on an older system and was looking to get back into PC gaming. I pulled out a copy of Supreme Commander and was going to install it when I noticed that it required the .net framework to be installed. I don't have the .net framework on my system and don't really want it. Do most modern (last 3-4 years) games require it to be installed in order to play them?

 

[Aikouka]

I've done a bit of .NET Framework programming, and I doubt any game uses it directly. However, I did a bit of Googling, and it appears my suspicions are correct... XNA requires the .NET Framework to be installed:

http://forums.create.msdn.com/forums/t/1988.aspx

I'm guessing Supreme Commander required XNA.

Although, I am also curious as to your aversion for the .NET Framework. Why do you not want it on your system? It's really not that much different than installing the Java JRE.

 

[Hardball]

I don't want to install it because I don't have a functional need for it and it is also a vector for potential malware. The .Net Framework has patches released for it on a regular basis by Microsoft to address security vulnerabilities, so for me it doesn't make sense to install a piece of software that I don't use and that requires regular patching to address security vulnerabilities. I don't have Java JRE installed for the same reason.

I think the games that use it, at least Supreme Commander, do so in order to allow internet connection with a specific aspect of the game. In Supreme Commander it is for GPGnet connection/function, I think.

 

[Maximilian]

I am running XP Pro on an older system and was looking to get back into PC gaming. I pulled out a copy of Supreme Commander and was going to install it when I noticed that it required the .net framework to be installed. I don't have the .net framework on my system and don't really want it. Do most modern (last 3-4 years) games require it to be installed in order to play them?

You are worred about .net framework security yet you run this

 

[Nebor]

This is a guy that keeps doesn't believe in Windows Updates either.

 

[Hardball]

This is a guy that keeps doesn't believe in Windows Updates either.

Not sure what you mean there. I didn't say anything about Windows Updates. I keep the OS up to date via Windows Updates and all relevant patches. I just didn't want to install a piece of software that up to this point I have had no use for that could present a security risk.

 

[Hardball]

As far as XP Pro goes, no, it is not as secure as Win7, but this is an older system that I have it installed on and doesn't really meet the hardware requirements to run Win7 properly on, so XP Pro/SP3 keeps humming along a while longer on this older config.

 

[Maximilian]

Just uninstall the OS completely. You can still have lots of fun playing around in the BIOS

 

[JimmiG]

Well, you're going to have to upgrade from WinXP some day anyway, and Vista and later include some version of the .Net framework.
It's an application framework.. you don't "need" it until you install some application or game that needs it.

Besides, your XP machine probably has dozens of services, drivers and applications that you really don't "need". If you just want a computer with the bare essentials, install MS DOS or buy a Commodore 64.

 

[LokutusofBorg]

They built Win7 to run well on Netbooks, so I would bet that unless you've got a 512MB system with a single core processor, it would run Win7 fine.

And if you are running Windows Updates all the time, there is no reason for you to think that the .NET Framework would present any credible security threat on your machine. Most patches for the .NET Framework are for servers running ASP.NET sites or similar. The .NET Framework on a client machine is not a security threat in any serious sense of the word.

 

[gorcorps]

You keep saying you don't have a need for it, yet here you are telling us you can't run something without it. Congratulations, you just found the reason you need it. What could you possibly be doing that you're so worried about security? Quit poking around shady places on the net and it'll never be an issue.

 

[Doppel]

Don't worry about .net install imo.

 

[Merad]

Few AAA games use .NET in the game itself, but it's commonly used in things like launchers or patchers.

No reason not to install it.

 

[PrincessFrosty]

XNA is used a lot by indy gamers because it's cross platform with windows phone, xbox and PC and that has a requirement for .net to be installed. If you're a gamer you're likely to need it at some point so might as well install it, I don't think it provides any significant security risks, it's patched for holes like everything else is.

 

[Aikouka]

I don't think it provides any significant security risks, it's patched for holes like everything else is.

I think Locutus made a good point about the security around it, and it was actually something that I was a bit curious about. There tends to be a lot of assumptions when it comes to vulnerabilities, and people tend to find them to be far worse than they are.

I mean... a C# application can't exploit a vulnerability in .NET unless you run it. So, there's always the "human wall of protection" to avoid any problems. However, when you run into issues such as SQL injection vulnerabilities or Flash vulnerabilities, most of these can be a bit more serious. Flash tends to run as long as someone embeds a SWF on a website, and all it takes is some Google Fu to find out how to actually work a SQL injection as long as you know a site is vulnerable.

I've toyed around with some content management systems (CMS) in the past for kicks, and it's not unheard of to have to patch them to fix SQL injections. The worst part is that if you don't patch them, the "hackers" know the injection point exists, because the CMS developer has published the fix!

So, after that bit of a tale of horror, what I'm trying to get at is in regard to .NET-based applications, chances are you're absolutely safe.

 

[RavenSEAL]

Get Windows 7