It's funny you should bring this up, because I've been noticing some of the oddities in the system. A few examples:
-At one point, the local blacksmith, clift, mentions he's lonely and he's envious of the fact that everyone likes you(the PC) while he can't get anyone to notice him, especially not the barmaid he facies. While you get a choice of dialouge options, the real answer I wanted to say was "I don't know. I've just been shoving gifts in everyone faces for the past year. Hey, Person I want to get in good with, here's a flower I just picked up 5 feet away from you not a minute ago. Please like me!".
-Some people will like you more just because you keep talking to them. Somehow Pam is my best friend because I actually talk to her at the bar. I've also bought her a bunch of beer, because it stands to reason someone who spends every night at the bar likes beer, but I does make me feel like I'm just enabling her alcoholism, especially since she's apparently unemployed and lives in the only trailer in town.
OTOH, I'm also super friends with the mayor because reasons, apparently because I talk to him often but I wonder if restoring the community center factors into it.
Even with the few issues this game has, most of them get a pass because it was literally designed by one guy. If he skimped a little on the relationship system, I'll deal.
I'm actually more annoyed by certain NPC's will go for days without opening their shops. Damnit, Marnie, my cows are starving and you spent 2 days not selling feed. Then you go to the bar and say "I wasn't very productive today". No crap you weren't.