Re: What to know?
 

a d-bot with a solid drivetrain is a lot more competitive (and fun) than a semifunctional more complex robot.

Re: What to know?
 

I have found that Spectrum is one of the great resources for new teams. I have found none better. Being a new team that has help others gives them a different way of looking at problems then older teams have. What works for our team with a program that has been building on years of experience and training will not work for a new team. That is why I recommend Spectrum.

Re: What to know?
 

Have you taken a look at Team-in-a-Box (341, now no longer updated) or MOE-mentum (365)? I haven't used them, mind you, but I understand that they're pretty good as well, for a veteran (HoF teams') perspective.

Re: What to know?
 

I'd say just keep it simple and have fun. As previous posters have said, even veteran teams can get tripped up shooting for the moon but ending up burning up on reentry. (sorry for the space simile). If you can pick one task to do and do it really well, that'll make you look good. Some teams that I saw this year didn't even drive -- they just climbed. That might be an extreme example, but the idea behind it is sound: make your robot as break-proof and as idiot-proof as possible.

Also (I have to say this as a Chairman's guy)-- do community outreach. It's the right thing to do, as well as looking great on your submission a few years down the road.

If you're interested, we have all sorts of resources on our website.

Best of luck!

Re: What to know?
 

I'd definitely agree with some of the previous posters. Building a simple robot that works well is a lot easier/better than trying to go the hard route and ending up disappointed. Your team has plenty more years ahead of itself to try harder robots out.
Also, don't forget the things not directly related to the robot, such as outreach, team identity, or administration/ logistics (ex. budget, available resources). It's easy to get so caught up in finishing before the deadline that other things fall through the cracks-- and teams don't operate well without handling all of its aspects.
Third, know where to find the information you need. If it's parts, know the popular websites that will have the part you need. If it's advice, work with neighboring teams. Check out previous games and know what kinds of awards and resources available on the FIRST website. Other than that, your team will pick up a lot through the mentoring process and through experience :)

Re: What to know?
 

A simple offensive bot is a lot more competitive (and fun) than both.

Re: What to know?
 

Spectrum is perhaps the most impressive team that is >4 years old. It's also worthy to note that they do all of this with only one mentor - Allen. Many second-year teams should also work hard on Chairman's. Spectrum is a good example as how they can win a chairman's early on. I think it's easy to say that Spectrum will win many awards in the future.