There are wandering NPCs and there is always an NPC that spawns in your starting evac shelter. Wandering NPCs have been turned off for a long while now, but it’s only in v0.4 that the shelter ones have been turned off iirc.
As for what they’re like:
“I can’t leave the shelter without equipment.”
“No, Fuck you!”
Ad infinitum, until:
“Okay, here.”
<Urist McMadbomber hands you a Solar Panel/Grenade/Mininuke (active)>
Either that or if you don’t close the curtains they’ll run outside and attempt to slaughter the local wildlife, usually grenades against squirrels, or shotguns and SMGs against wolves, etc. They also generally have a suicidal quest, aka (run into the local pharmacy and get me some crack, man!)
Nearest pharmacy? In the town center. Alternatively, on the outskirts but they don’t have what he needs. Alternatively, a few hundred map tiles away.
Bonus is, if you DO complete his stupid quest you can blag some free training off him.
“Follow me, it’s not safe here.”
<Look outside, hundreds of beartraps, deep spiked pits, a moat, chainlink fences, landmines and turrets.>
“Well it better bloody not be.”
Also don’t ever try the one-tile window trick when there is an NPC anywhere near you. He will shoot you in the back of the head. Probably for being such a douche as to bring zombies back to the shelter and attempting to use him as a stationary gun turret, I don’t know.