You actually made some smart observations; ones that are pretty profound for a pre-rookie team.
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Is this common in FIRST, in Aerial Assist, or was it just this regional in particular
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It's semi-common in FIRST. I don't know what kind of robots you saw, but at an event of 65 teams, you'll find that more than 50% of them are "subpar".
It is also regional dependent. There are regions that have a stronger middle tier (Michigan, Cali, Canada) than others, and there are a lot of factors that play into this.
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Also, what is the build season like for teams who end up with a robot that just doesn't play the game well? Is it a lack of resources, a lack of time, or poor strategy?
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You hit the major factors. Some teams have poor strategies, they don't plan for the resources they have, and they don't respect the amount of time they have. Usually it's a combination of the first two that really get teams.
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And most importantly, what can my rookie team do, before build season and during, to build a robot we're proud of and can play the game well?
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Before the season: You need to remove as many in-season variables as possible. Of course you don't know the game, but it's not difficult to start building simple robots, simple drive trains. Get a handle for the resources you have and how to best utilize them to build effective mechanisms.
During the season: Pick an effective strategy, and build as simple a mechanism as possible to achieve that strategy. Remember, your DT is your base; if it's not strong, you won't be strong, and rollers are king.
You're not being offensive. Some may lash out at you for being "insensitive," but it's the realities of the program. Kudos to you for seeing this and taking steps to ensure that your program achieves success.
- Sunny G.