Blue Bottle Games has a new update on the Neo Scavenger webpage about a new beta bulid ready for public testing.
More information.New Test Beta: Non-Hostile NPCs, Factions, Armor, and Clothing
I've just finished uploading new beta test build 0.983b, which includes non-hostile NPC interactions, dynamic factions, armor, and new creature sprites. There are now two violent gangs roaming the map, DMC guards patrolling the sprawl, and looters caught in the middle. What's more, all of them are "strangers" until they do something that identifies them as friend or foe.
The build is available to anyone who owns the beta at bluebottlegames.com, or on Desura and Steam. Desura (and therefore, Groupees) users can use Desura Connect to gain access here, or even get their Steam keys and try it on Steam.
To access the test build on the official site, simply visit the beta page, and click any of the download links below the usual Windows, Mac, and Linux buttons.