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My point: to generate large enough sums I think there would have to be something more than a "token" reward.

We can easily add a "Medal" or something underneath a user name indicating they contributed!

It would only be a reward for forum members, but I've seen other forums use that type of graphic for various things, so it's one of many "intangible" rewards that could be offered.

Hard coding a list of names of contributors in a splash screen or elsewhere in MB3D is another idea, but if it's open source that may not work.

But the point is that intangible rewards can be done and there are many options for them.

I am pondering about the next steps to take.
With other pulls on my time - it will be a while.
However, we have to at least Windows 12 before anything needs to be done.

I also had the kickstarter idea some days ago, so it must be a good idea   
Quite the same interface but a clean code as base should be the first target to keep that project alive. Result should be open source.
When we mastered this step there will be improvements. Maybe we can use the donation amount as a kind of voting score. The people that donate the most can give most point for a new feature, so they will reach "their" goal faster.
But also without that I would donate something (>50€) just to keep that wonderful program alive and not frozen.
So Bryan, please go on and start the thing 

Wow.

Lots to address there.

In reverse order, I don't think the codes unifying will help.

The big distinction between the two programs has nothing to do with code at all.  It's the User Interface that makes people choose one over the other.

I personally have issues getting along with Mandelbulber's UI and have yet to make a single image I like from Mandelbulber, but have had a lot of fun exploring and playing with MB3D.

The original MB3D "Team" was 1 person (our member Jesse) and he has moved on, leaving the code for us to pound our heads against.

Thargor6 has had the most success with that and is responsible for the latest release.

It's a mashed up Delphi / Assembler thing and from what I hear it is excessively difficult to modify.

As for absorbing what is there, I don't see why not.  But as stated above, it's not what MB3D does, it's how it does it.  There will be no way to unify the two interfaces that I can think of.

I still go back to 'Bulber periodically, just to see if my tiny little brain can "make it go" - but still no luck.

I keep meaning to do a screen cap of my efforts and pinpoint exactly where I get lost, but that's work.  I use fractal generators for play, so it will take the right combination of free time and mindset to make that happen.

If anyone wants to work on dressing Mandelbulber up in a Mandelbulb3D suit, and make it work via a similar interface, that would provide the answer to your question.  No code integrating needed.  Unless there are features that are extremely different!  The lighting comes to mind, with image based lighting in MB3D being a real plus and a feature I use a lot.

Good luck with your effort, and I hope what little insight I offered helps.

Simple formula: actual coding >> talking about it

Tabs?  They can work better than different windows for everything in some cases.