I think that one most have a quality robot in order to do well at competition. Quality is what (partially) gives a robot and it's team a reputation. Students and mentors spend numerous man hours working and perfecting their robot to run reliably, and efficiently. I believe it is crucial to have a quality robot in order to win. Yes there is a level of driver skill and luck at competitions, but these factors have nothing to do with robot design.
For example, our team has created a simple yet effective robot. During Nationals while tugging the robot back to the pits, I exclaimed, "Robot coming through! Please move!" I overheard another student saying, "That is not a robot, that is a work of art!" Yes, our primary function for the robot is to hang, and we spent those six weeks making sure that this robot becomes one of the best hangers at competition.
I can go on, but I guess it is clear that I ultimately go with a quality robot.
