1: Yeah I'm debating polishing until the end or just going ahead and releasing. I was still pretty impressed how far you got in a small amount of time.
2: I usually use a .NET core backend since I don't have a hosting cost because of my regular day job. The problem is it takes a while to develop so it's not ideal for a game jam. Plus then you are responsible for the data too so you have to be careful what you collect. Thank you for showing me this, it will definitely make things easier for me in the future.