Mo3ModManager is a mod manager for Mental Omega (and most Red Alert 2: Yuri’s Revenge mods). It simplifies installing, switching, and launching mods while saving disk space by using NTFS hard links – files are stored only once even if used by multiple mods or profiles.
- Mod Management – Browse, install (from
.zip), and delete mods. Each mod folder contains anode.jsondescriptor and aFilessubfolder with game data. - Profile System – Create multiple game profiles (saves, settings) per mod. Profiles are stored separately and can be renamed or deleted.
- Hard‑Link Technology – Avoid file duplication. The base game files are linked, not copied, saving disk space and allowing instant switching.
- Multilingual UI – Switch between English, Russian, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese on the fly. Easily extensible.
- Rich Mod Info – When a mod is selected, its description (with clickable links) and image are displayed. Click the image to view it full size.
- Legacy Windows Support – Works on Windows XP and later. For older systems, a manual “game finished” dialog is shown.
- Error Logging – All exceptions are written to
error.login the application folder for easy troubleshooting. - Administrator Rights – Required to create hard links; the app requests elevation at startup.
- OS: Windows XP or newer (Windows 8+ recommended for automatic process detection).
- .NET Framework: Version 4.0 or higher.
- Permissions: Administrator rights (to create hard links).
- Launch the app – Run
Mo3ModManager.exeand confirm the UAC prompt if needed. - Place your mods – Put each mod in its own folder inside the
Modsdirectory (next to the.exe).
Each mod folder must contain:node.json– mod metadata (see example below).Files– subfolder with all game files (mix files, maps, etc.).image.png– mod image (optional).
- Install a new mod – Click Install mod… and select a
.ziparchive. The archive must contain the same structure (node.json+Files). - Select a mod – The left panel shows a tree of available mods. Click one to see its description and image.
- Manage profiles – Use the New profile…, Rename profile…, and Delete profile… buttons to create or modify game profiles. Profiles are stored under
Profiles\[ModName]\. - Choose language – In the top‑right corner, pick your language from the flag dropdown. The app will restart with the new UI language.
- Play – Select a mod and a profile, then click Play. The game launches with the chosen mod and profile.
Example node.json:
{
"id": "MO-330",
"name": "Mental Omega [v.3.3.0]",
"main_executable": "MentalOmegaClient.exe",
"arguments": "",
"parent": "MO-RA2Depends",
"compatibility": "~ RUNASADMIN HIGHDPIAWARE",
"description": "<div class='body clear'><div class='tooltip'></div><p id='downloadsummary'>YOU NEED THIS BEFORE THE PATCH. Read the install instructions first.Remember to download soundtracks separately. Check for available patches before playing the game, or download them manually.</p><div id='downloaddescription' style=''><hr><div class='center' style='text-align: center;'><img alt='User Posted Image' src='https://media.moddb.com/images/downloads/1/29/28151/auto/dldheader.png'></div><p>Mental Omega 3.3.0</p><p>This release includes:</p><ul><li>A complete new faction: The Foehn Revolt</li><li>CnCNet5 compatibility for multiplayer services</li><li>12 new subfactions with their own unique sets of units</li><li>52 new single player missions, including a campaign for Yuri</li><li>28 new cooperative maps for 2 players</li><li>new skirmish/multiplayer maps, around 500 total</li><li>new skirmish/multiplayer game modes, 14 total</li><li>updated visuals & audio</li><li>a new soundtrack, unique for each side (separate download)</li></ul><hr><p><strong>To make Mental Omega (3.3.0) work on your computer, follow these instructions:</strong></p><p><strong>DO NOT INSTALL 3.3 WHERE 3.0 IS! They're incompatible!</strong></p><p>1. Mental Omega 3.3 is not a standalone mod but it does not require a CD to be played.<br>However, it requires the following files from C&C Red Alert 2 Yuri's Revenge, patched to version 1.001:</p><p><strong>- BINKW32.dll</strong><br><strong>- BLOWFISH.dll</strong><br><strong>- gamemd.exe</strong> (patched to version 1.001, from original CD, The First Decade or The Ultimate Collection release, if any other gamemd.exe file is used Ares DLL will not be injected and game won't start)<br><strong>- ra2.mix</strong><br><strong>- ra2md.mix</strong><br><strong>- language.mix</strong><br><strong>- langmd.mix</strong></p><p>2. Either unpack all the contents of Mental Omega 3.3 archive to the location<br>of your Red Alert 2 Yuri's Revenge installation, or copy the game's directory,<br>rename it and unpack all the contents in the copied one.</p><p>Make sure no other modifications are installed in the directory where Mental Omega will be.</p><p>You can also simply create an empty directory, copy the files listed above to it<br>and extract the contents of Mental Omega 3.3 archive to the newly created directory.</p><p>The following is advised if you are playing Red Alert 2 Yuri's Revenge multiplayer on CnCNet:<br>DO NOT extract Mental Omega 3.3 files to the folder where CnCNet for Yuri's Revenge is installed.</p><p>3. If you have downloaded Mental Omega music, extract thememo.mix to the mod's location.</p><p>4. Run MentalOmegaClient.exe, configure the settings and play solo or multiplayer on CnCNet.</p><hr><p>Here are some links you might find useful!</p><p><a href='http://mentalomega.com/index.php?page=install' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>How to make Mental Omega 3.3 work?</a><br><a href='http://mentalomega.com/index.php?page=multi' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>How to play Mental Omega 3.3 on multiplayer?</a><br><a href='http://mentalomega.com/index.php?page=factions' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>Complete list of faction features in Mental Omega 3.3!</a><br><a href='http://mentalomega.com/index.php?page=jobs' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>How you can contribute to further Mental Omega 3.3 development!</a><br><a href='http://mentalomega.com/index.php?page=support' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>Other answers for very important and inevitable questions! Also troubleshooting.</a></p><p>Discuss Mental Omega 3.3 and arrange multiplayer battles on <a href='https://mentalomega.com/forum' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>our forums</a> and in <a href='https://mentalomega.com/discord' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>our Discord</a>.</p><p>If you encounter issues while playing the mod or when trying to run it, ask on our forums or here as well.</p><p>Do <strong>NOT</strong> reupload the Mental Omega 3.0 files without the creator's explicit permission!</p><hr><p>By downloading, installing and using Mental Omega 3.3, you are agreeing <br>to the <a href='http://mentalomega.com/privacy'>Mental Omega Terms of Service</a>.</p><div style='float: right; width: 264px;'><img alt='User Posted Image' src='https://media.moddb.com/images/downloads/1/29/28151/auto/mofootera.png'></div><p><br></p><div class='center' style='text-align: center;'><img alt='User Posted Image' src='https://media.moddb.com/images/downloads/1/29/28151/auto/mofooterb.png'></div></div></div>"
}| File | Description |
|---|---|
MainWindow.xaml / .cs |
Main UI and event handlers. |
Node.cs |
Represents a mod (ID, name, executable, etc.). |
NodeTree.cs |
Builds a tree of mods from the Mods folder. |
ModItem.cs |
Data binding helper for the mod tree view. |
ProfileItem.cs |
Represents a profile in the UI, with size calculation. |
ModProcessManager.cs |
Prepares the game environment (hard links, profile copy) and launches the game process. |
ModProcessManagerArguments.cs |
Arguments for ModProcessManager. |
IO.cs |
Static helpers for file operations (hard links, directory cleanup, identical file detection). |
Win32.cs |
P/Invoke declarations for Windows API functions (job objects, hard links, process creation). |
InputWindow.xaml / .cs |
Simple text input dialog. |
LanguageItem.cs |
Language combo box item (name, culture code, flag path). |
Logger.cs |
Static class to write errors to error.log. |
app.manifest |
UAC elevation and Windows compatibility declarations. |
AssemblyInfo.cs |
Assembly metadata and neutral language (en-US). |
Resources.resx |
Default English strings. Satellite resource files (Resources.xx-XX.resx) contain localized strings. |
packages.config |
NuGet dependencies: Newtonsoft.Json (JSON parsing) and ICSharpCode.SharpZipLib (ZIP handling). |
- Open the solution in Visual Studio (any edition with .NET Framework 4.0 support).
- Restore NuGet packages (they should be restored automatically; if not, run
Update-Package -Reinstallin the Package Manager Console). - Build the solution (Build → Rebuild Solution). The executable will be placed in
bin\Releaseorbin\Debug.
Detailed instructions are in LOCALIZATION.md. In brief:
- Create a new resource file
Properties\Resources.<culture>.resxand translate all strings. - (Optional) Add a flag image to the
Imagesfolder (PNG, 24×16) and set its build action to Resource. - Add the language to the combo box in
MainWindow.xaml.cs(InitializeLanguageComboBox()). - Add the resource file to the
.csprojwith<Culture>tag. - Rebuild and test.
This project is licensed under the MIT License – see the LICENSE file for details.
- Original author: Sad Pencil – me@pencil.live
- Current maintainer: YoWassup – GitHub
This README was updated to reflect the latest project structure and features.