BCMM April 2026 Progress Report

What did we do this month?

A lot. Let's summarize what's been done:

1. We started playtesting the stock SP Maelstrom campaign
2. Numerous runtime fixes
3. New smaller QoL features
4. New NIF models exploring the limits of what the old BC engine can handle

Large Battle Simulation

This prototype feature has now been balanced, and the results for the post-release phase will be highly dynamic and unpredictable. The latest tests conducted at the start of April produced different outcomes:

• 2K Cardassians vs 1K Federation ships
  Cardassians were without the Hybrid ship type. The battle ended in a slaughter of the Cardassians.
  End state:

  • Cardassians: 273 ships remaining
  • Federation: lost just over 120 ships

• 2K Cardassians vs 1K Federation (with Hybrid ships)
  This time, Cardassians had access to the Hybrid ship type. The AI became significantly more aggressive, I definitely felt it.
  The battle ended in a Federation victory, but a costly one.
  End state:

  • Cardassians: 1247 ships remaining
  • Federation: 789 ships remaining

• Final test (same conditions as above)
  Another run under identical conditions resulted in a complete Federation victory.
  End state:

  • Cardassians: 183 ships remaining
  • Federation: 812 ships remaining

You can see the battle below (10 minutes). TL;DR: it's chaos.

• NOTE: Hybrid ship type refers to the Kessok and Cardassian ship classes exclusive to the SP Maelstrom campaign.

SP Gameplay

We've begun playtesting the SP Maelstrom campaign, showcasing stability, new character models, updated graphics, and save/load functionality.

So far, the showcase covers up to mission E6M3.
Grab popcorn if you plan to watch everything.

All gameplay videos, including mission transitions, demonstrate stable performance and consistent memory usage.

In one transition-heavy mission (where most CTDs typically occur), memory usage starts at ~574 MB, rises during loading (~680 MB), and remains controlled throughout.

Q: Why is there no visual damage in these videos?
A: I hate the visual damage system.

Runtime Fixes and QoL Improvements

Several null pointer CTDs were identified during SP playtesting and have been patched using a runtime trampoline approach with added safety checks (null guards).

What's a trampoline?
It's a jump to an instruction that immediately decides where execution continues next. This allows us to safely intercept problematic calls and prevent crashes.

And honestly it's not surprising. The game is full of unsafe calls. There's a reason it earned the nickname "Crash Commander" (thanks Defiant).

QoL Improvements

• Shield UI Fix
  Shield percentage text was rendering under the icons.
  Fixed via proper UI layering. No hacks.

• SP Bug Fixes
  • Warp sounds not playing
  • Pulse sounds not playing
  • RemoveVisibleDamage breaking visual damage entirely
  • Episode intros not triggering correctly (fixed call order issue)

Widescreen Options

There were some questions about widescreen in the gameplay videos, so here's a breakdown:

1. Classic - Default behavior
- Image stretched to fit widescreen
- Geometry appears flattened

2. Compatible (Default) - Corrects aspect ratio
- Best for 4:3 rendering
- Works well in widescreen depending on setup
- Personally preferred option

3. Modern - True widescreen rendering (16:9 internal)
- Most accurate modern presentation

Launcher options

Classic 4:3 and 16:9

Compatible 4:3 and 16:9

Modern 4:3 and 16:9

• Phaser Bar Fix
  Improved readability after restart.

• Default Power Settings
  Explains why shields/weapons default to 125% at red alert.

• Simple Damage Model
  Replacement for the visual damage system.
  Uses the same logic but handles visuals via code to reduce excessive tearing.

• VOX Maintenance
  Added launcher option to clean corrupted VOX files with one click.

Exploring NIF Limits

Welcome to Cordy's Corner.

This month, new models are in production using a variety of transparency settings.

The first video, "Incredible Model," demonstrates a model animated entirely through the NIF itself. It also uses a very specific transparency configuration. Combined with animated textures, it produces impressive results both in normal space and inside nebula environments.

Efforts have begun to systematically map these largely unexplored properties. The testing documentation is continuously updated as new discoveries are made.

Even though this is an older engine, it still holds surprising possibilities. Transparency settings that appear identical can still produce slightly different results.

The second video, "BCMM Anomaly 8675309," showcases another variation. While mostly invisible, the model becomes highly visible in front of a star and can even influence how a planet appears.

This opens up a lot of potential ideas. Expect more next month.

"BCMM -- Transparencies" demonstrates a test model divided into 100 sections for rapid iteration. Transparency interaction depends heavily on draw order -- rendering sequence directly affects the final result.

Testing is ongoing and will take some time before more significant results are ready.

This engine isn't done yet.

Is this a new era for BC?

Stay tuned.

Conclusion

BCMM development is progressing steadily. After completing the SP Maelstrom pass, the next major step is continuing development and (hopefully) beginning the port of the SFC3 Federation campaign to fully conclude the SFC3 mission arc.

Until next time.