Collectible Card Game Headquarters

While I enjoy what Forge currently has to offer and it is the best rule enforcing program for magic around, I have two problems with it.

The AI just isn't very good in general, not that this is anything new.
Secondly multiplayer would be great, pretty obviously one as well, I know.

Still is there any work being done on either of those areas right now?
I also feel that a heavily cheating AI could be a big improvement for Forge, as long as it is a option.

How would said cheating work, do you mean feeding the AI lands when needed or that it can play any card from the library (eg no 'hand')?

I would suggest hunting for a guy that has done any kind of multiplayer game in java. I helped the open source project OpenTH back in the day - do not remember what language that is coded in (I'm to lazy to check), though they got a pretty good multiplayer lobby and such.

Another problem is that for new devs that are not familiar with slightlymagic and forge, it is not so easy to get the source code, might be due to the legal grey-area forge is in.

I am not aware of any announced efforts to add in multiplayer, human vs human online play or a substantially improved AI at this time.

Forge is not a dead project and people are working on other areas.

It is possible (but hard to predict) that someone with the needed skill set may decide to work on the areas that you mention.