Don't worry...you're in the right forum.
That said, it depends entirely on the game.
From my experience, tracking the tape on the floor of the playing field is a very slow method and most of the robots that I saw use that were lucky to be halfway to the goal before their time was up.
818 has used dead reckoning for three years now, and it's worked relatively well. Assuming that you place the robot correctly before the match begins and that nothing obstructs your path (like another robot), it works well. Even if you do end up colliding with another robot or a field element like a moveable goal, you still might be able to accomplish something...even if it's just accidental.
I haven't experimented with IR beacons yet, but we might have to this year - last year, they emphasized learning how to use the IR system strongly at kickoff, and something tells me that we might not have a choice in the matter this year.
As I said, though, we don't know what we'll be up against...so my answer may change tomorrow.