Just letting you know, there's a handful of errors in the game's script (12 instances to be exact) where you use the following syntax:
<<set $variable =+ X>>
The problem here is that while this is intended to add X to variable, what it actually does is set the value to X instead, effectively erasing all previous progress made and recorded in given variable. To add to the value you will want to use:
<<set $variable += X>>
instead (i.e. with the + in front of the = instead of after it)
HTH.