welcome back @DAWGaMims… 
well, first and foremost, the beta is now being referred to as a preview release… thats really just a means of managing expectations for what folks can expect in December… and yes, the preview release is still on track for Dec, with the focus being on building and crafting…
we’ve had a number of dev blogs that centered on art assets and skill trees… as well as some on AI and terrain generation… you can take a look at the announced features thread for a good summary of game information, as well as the live stream bank to catch up on the older video material…
have fun! 