I think I figured it out a few minutes ago as you updated the game version, I needed to be making clearances, but the game never explained to me (I don't think) what that meant, so the game kept forcing me back into the normal route simply because I didn't want to try making the clearances.
I also found out spamming making super growths in the older version could force the triggers to happen for the rival. No need to send my save file, I'm just a prickly idiot not wanting to try making the clearances. Which now means its time to start over now that I actually know how the game wants me to interact with it, haha!