CVT's are a very interesting propostion. I have heard of some planetary kind in passing, but never got a chance to hear/research more on it. Does anyone know what at all I could be talking about? It has something to do with the speed of the outside ring gear...

As far as on a FIRST bot, I think it would depend entirely on the game, and the weight of the module. If I could take 10 pounds off by having a single speed, and instead use the 10 pounds on a scoring method, I would. If the module were light enough, It very well could be worth it in the long run.