Yeah the whole backstab thing is such a gamble. I get that they're faster for production work but man, they just love to work themselves loose over time. Once you start finding them it really makes you wonder what else is hiding behind every plate in the house.

Oh man, I've heard about this happening to other folks on the BoardGameGeek forums. Someone posted about leaving their copy of The Settlers of Catan in a trunk during a heat wave, and the roads tiles came out looking like potato chips. I think the wood absorbs moisture and then when it bakes in the sun it dries out and contracts unevenly. Your best bet is probably hitting up The Game Crafter or a similar bits seller online, I've seen them sell replacement meeple packs for cheap.

Oh man, the missing letter trick. I've done that exact thing. Spent two weeks mapping out a trade route conflict and then realized I never actually showed the rival merchant delivering the inciting proposal. My fix was to just go back and plant the letter in an earlier chapter as a quick scene. Saved the whole thing. Sometimes you just gotta patch the hole instead of burning the house down.

True, free communities can be way more useful than those generic programs. Just keep in mind that a good career coach actually does more than just point you to resources, they help you figure out your blind spots and keep you accountable. Did you find that Slack group helped you make a real plan or just gave you general advice?

Feel you on this one. I spent a whole evening once trying to fix a login page only to find I had a semicolon in the wrong spot. It's amazing how one tiny mistake can eat up hours.