Thinking about NPC dialogue and how it could be implemented well. I know CK2 is their inspiration for personality, but I remember this game I played as a kid, Urbz on the GBA, had a robust minigame.

You start a conversation and get three topics. Each topic gave a different response based on the NPC, raising or lowering relationship score. You could simply look at most of the characters - or get a few topics in - and get a good idea of what they liked and what they didn't, but all had a few thorns to keep it mixed. It was more unpredictable for late-game ones. Some of them told you secrets, cooking recipes or useful strategies. Most of the time the speech was just comedic or interesting blurb text from their life with a minor REL nudge in either direction, then after you selected it you got a new set.

A similar system could be applied for casual conversation here. There would still be a handful of 'story' characters with unique lines, but for the most part it would be randomly generated preset dialogues with maybe a couple of topics linked in tandem to keep a consistent timeline. Selected topics in a box and overhead text.
>Learned lockpicking from dad (hobbies, crime, family topics)
>Family fled city (vehicles, city, 'day 1' topics)
>Lost family to raiders in [raider spawnpoint] (bandits, crime, death, family topics)
Talking to a woman about crime could lead to either her talking about knowing how to pick locks, or the time her family got massacred. A hungry looter won't teach you how to cook or even like you bringing up food. If they know you well they might get furious and verbally throw something awful in your face. It changes based on the person and their mood and disposition, so you could sus out lies by getting them drunk or asking around.

In practice, you'd paint a unique cast of survivors and world out of all the overlapping tales and chatter learned over time. I just want 'Louisville' as a topic so I can hear all the horror stories over a campfire.