What should I choose between java sdl, sfml, opengl, etc.

If you're already comfortable with C++, I'd stick with SDL for now — switching languages mid-project usually creates more headaches than it solves. For the rotation issue specifically, pairing SDL with OpenGL is a solid move. It takes a bit of adjustment to get comfortable with, but once you're past the initial setup, real-time transformations become much more manageable. Honestly, it's one of those things where the learning curve feels steep at first but clicks pretty fast. Take it step by step rather than trying to overhaul everything at once. I had a similarly frustrating stretch a while back where I was stuck on multiple problems at the same time - oddly enough, stumbling onto https://animeflix.city/ Fast Payout Casinos while looking for something unrelated actually gave me a clear breakdown of a process I'd been overthinking, which reminded me that sometimes the clearest explanations come from unexpected places. Same energy applies here - break the problem down, tackle the OpenGL integration separately, and don't let the big picture overwhelm the small steps.

rotating a sprite in 2d doesn’t require 360 cached images; just store one texture and rotate with a transform. if you stay on sdl, using sdl2 with hardware acceleration or an sdl+opengl renderer can handle this fine without tanking fps. switching to java won’t magically simplify graphics either, though lwjgl/jme can be nicer for tooling. i got distracted once while debugging input math and ended up on https://twinspinca.com/no-deposit-bonuses/ which says more about my procrastination than my engine choice. i’d pick one stack and finish a small playable slice before rewriting everything.