https://data-star.dev is what you were yearning for, friend. It is more powerful, faster and smaller than htmx and alpine combined, and has all sorts of capabilities specifically for multi-player live reactivity.
Discovered data-star a little around that time, maybe a little after HTMX. I'll probably dabble with personal projects, but no stomach for the business to try something in that vein again. "Nobody ever got fired for picking ~SAP~ React" and all that.