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Short Version -- Zero2D isn't dead. TheBuzzSaw is just a lazy/busy/slow programmer. Yadda yadda.
Long Version:
Basically, it comes down to this: I learn new technology too freaking fast. It's awesome... but also painful. Right as I get something working, I learn an infinitely better way to do it. I mean, just look back over my ridiculous tech demos. At one point, I was going to use software-accelerated SDL image blitting to make this game. Later, I discovered the power of OpenGL, so I was going to build it in OpenGL immediate mode (basically OpenGL 1.5). Then, I mastered the better performance of using OpenGL 2.1 with shaders. My engine had to keep adjusting to fit that. Thankfully, those transitions have come to an end. I am not going to build the game in OpenGL 3 anytime soon (though Zero3D may go that route).
Along with the stuff I've learned, screw sprite sheets. Each animation can have its own image file. I will simply have the engine group the images into sheets for you in the background. (It makes OpenGL happy.)
Next is audio. I've been using SDL_mixer for much of the work, but that library betrayed me. It stopped working in Linux, and I've been wanting to learn 3D audio for a long time anyway. Well, that day finally came, and I sat myself down to learn OpenAL. SDL_mixer is a sack of garbage. For reasons unknown, it adds a huge pause to both starting up and closing down the game. And I'm tired of SDL. OpenAL FTW. I promise this won't change either.
Next is Lua. I know I mentioned in the past how I'd be using Lua to enhance the engine, but I did not quite understand the true power of Lua until recently. I did previously state that I'd be using Lua for everything from fighters to projectiles to AI to stage elements. That still stands, but I didn't even have a full understanding of how to implement Lua. I always saw Lua as something that would just extend the engine, but I've learned through recent projects that Lua needs to BECOME the engine. For those geeky enough to understand: event callbacks are godly; they are fast, logical, and easy to use. Lua will be freaking epic in this game.
I've been making ridiculous progress on my generic engine. So, no, I still don't have an epic Zero2D demo to present, but I will soon. I am going to use CGE. If you'd like to follow that engine's progress, it is public here:
https://github.com/TheBuzzSaw/cyborus-game-engine
The Zero2D engine itself will basically be revamped to use CGE. I've already begun working on this transition. I'll post updates to the Zero2D repository soon.
And git freakin' rules. Never use SVN (or CVS). DVCS FTW.
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