Any tips for a beginner VEXAI Team? Materials and Opinion

Hi!
I’m currently interested in starting a VEX AI team. Since VAIC is still pretty new, I have found that a lot of the information online (even from VEX) has been a bit sparse and incomplete.
Regarding materials, VEX has not yet updated its full VAIC kit. Do you think it’s better to purchase all the components separately? It would be great to know what items you would recommend (excluding general V5), materials, and where you might source them!
Also, VAIC is a big time commitment. For those who have done VAIC: how do you like it so far? Especially when the sensors are extremely sensitive. Was the learning curve steep for programming? Any tips would be great!

Thanks!