Load the game into an intermediate state where RAInitDelegate can install packages, etc (an even bigger hack).

OpenRA.Game/Game.cs

@@ -253,15 +253,17 @@ namespace OpenRA
 			JoinLocal();
 			viewport = new Viewport(new int2(Renderer.Resolution), Rectangle.Empty, Renderer);
 
-			//StartGame(ChooseShellmap());
-
-			// TODO: unhardcode this
 			modData.WidgetLoader.LoadWidget( new Dictionary<string,object>(), Widget.RootWidget, "PERF_BG" );
-			Widget.OpenWindow("MAINMENU_BG");
+			Widget.OpenWindow("MAINMENU_INIT");
 
 			Game.orderManager.LastTickTime = Environment.TickCount;
 		}
-
+		
+		public static void LoadShellMap()
+		{
+			StartGame(ChooseShellmap());
+		}
+		
         static string ChooseShellmap()
         {
             var shellmaps =  modData.AvailableMaps

OpenRA.Game/Graphics/HardwarePalette.cs

@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ namespace OpenRA.Graphics
 		
 		public void AddPalette(string name, Palette p)
 		{
+			if (palettes.ContainsKey(name))
+				throw new InvalidOperationException("Palette {0} has already been defined".F(name));
+			
 			palettes.Add(name, p);
 			indices.Add(name, allocated++);
 		}

OpenRA.Game/ModData.cs

@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ namespace OpenRA
 		public SheetBuilder SheetBuilder;
 		public CursorSheetBuilder CursorSheetBuilder;
 		public SpriteLoader SpriteLoader;
-		public readonly HardwarePalette Palette;
+		public HardwarePalette Palette { get; private set; }
 		
 		public ModData( params string[] mods )
 		{		
@@ -38,7 +38,12 @@ namespace OpenRA
 			
 			AvailableMaps = FindMaps( Manifest.Mods );
 			WidgetLoader = new WidgetLoader( this );
+		}
+		
+		void LoadHackyPalettes()
+		{
 			Palette = new HardwarePalette();
+			Palette.AddPalette("cursor", new Palette( FileSystem.Open( "cursor.pal" ), false ));
 		}
 		
 		public void Sucks()
@@ -48,15 +53,19 @@ namespace OpenRA
 
 			FileSystem.UnmountAll();
 			foreach (var dir in Manifest.Folders) FileSystem.Mount(dir);
-			//foreach (var pkg in Manifest.Packages) FileSystem.Mount(pkg);
-						
-			Palette.AddPalette("cursor", new Palette( FileSystem.Open( "cursor.pal" ), false ));
+			
 			ChromeProvider.Initialize( Manifest.Chrome );
 			SheetBuilder = new SheetBuilder( TextureChannel.Red );
 			CursorSheetBuilder = new CursorSheetBuilder( this );
 			
 			SpriteLoader = new SpriteLoader(new[]{".shp"}, SheetBuilder);
 			CursorProvider.Initialize(Manifest.Cursors);
+			LoadHackyPalettes();
+		}
+		
+		public void LoadPackages()
+		{
+			foreach (var pkg in Manifest.Packages) FileSystem.Mount(pkg);
 		}
 		
         public static IEnumerable<string> FindMapsIn(string dir)
@@ -124,6 +133,7 @@ namespace OpenRA
 			}
 
 			previousMapHadSequences = map.Sequences.Count > 0;
+							LoadHackyPalettes();
 
 			return map;
 		}