Currently replaying Outcast (1999) and I have to say, the "find a Talan" interactions never get old to me. I love that mechanic! Due to constraints, the developers ended up having a very low amount of different models for the native inhabitants of Adelpha, and had to go with: everyone you meet is male (females and children all live on a different region you won't go to) and this has been integrated into the worldbuilding. But also, since everyone is a palette swap, you actually need the feature!
The way it works is: someone will tell you you need to meet Ilott. Problem is, you are a human hard boiled military type, not exactly the physionomist. So you can walk up to anyone and ask them "hey have you seen Ilott?" best case is they will point them to you, but sometimes they haven't seen them in a while? So they will say "I think I saw him in the north-east" And people around them will also corroborate. But then you get to the north east and you just missed them! He's now gone to the SE
This rules. This works best because NPCs are on a schedule and go about their lives while you prance around shooting things. So they are not simply waiting for you to come talk to them. Ok you want to save the world but THEY HAVE SHIT TO DO AND THE FIELDS WON'T TILL THEMSELVES.
Also it's very interesting how the French version (considered the original) has a much more nuanced actor that is almost in perpetual disbelief of the shit he's being put through, but the american one takes itself much more seriously that it becomes boring.
