I live abroad and I want to make sure that I have the essentials to enter a local Nothing but Net competition. Getting all the parts in one shipment will save me time and a fortune. The parts I thought of (I am a VEXU participant and this is only for Robot A):
For one, a lot of the stuff on your list comes in the classroom and competition super kit, so you’ll likely save a tad of money and get more stuff by getting that instead.
For two, in terms of software, you can’t use it without a license, so unless you plan to use more complex (and not officially supported) software like PROS and ConVEX, you can’t just “get it online.” You still have to pay for it.
Finally, no matter how much you buy, there will still be some strange parts that you need and don’t have, so its a good idea to have a running budget for when you need to buy those parts. Designing the robot in some sort of CAD software (autodesk inventor is my preference, but solidworks is also a … Solid choice) helps a lot as you can figure out more or less which parts you need to get the robot you’re imagining.
Check if these guys ship to your country. http://www.robotmesh.com/
They’ll ship by USPS which is surprisingly cost effective and actually viable for smaller purchases.
If you are buying aluminum, then you may be better off staying away from the classroom kit since it comes with a lot of steel. You will need at least one additional battery and probably charger too. I would suggest buying 2 more 4" omni wheels, because the clawbot wheels are not that great. The gyroscope is a popular sensor that isn’t in those kits, but it’s not necessary. Personally, I would just buy encoders and a gyroscope.
+1 to robotmesh shipping
Maybe the OP meant software doesn’t have to ship? I don’t think that PROS is actually more complex than RobotC. I would recommend it to the OP.
Another advantage is that, as the OP is abroad, it will arrive by their local post office, which usually only charges a small fee for duty/import tax, and often nothing at all (depending on the country). VEX itself ships UPS, which will charge you a fortune on brokerage, usually far more than the shipping cost.
Those are not included in the super kit. Every pack or kit has a full list of included parts if you scroll down a bit. That should help you out.
As far as their necessity, quite a few teams are using them for brakes and such. I agree you need them, but more likely for a power take off or shifting transmission, possibly to change shooter angle if you don’t want to dedicate a motor to that. (If you guys get that far) this game isn’t so much piston heavy as it is power heavy.
What country are you in? On robotmesh’s cart page where you estimate shipping, there is a list of what seems to be every country. I tried some random ones, and a couple won’t give a quote, have you tried contacting them?
I wouldn’t get the pneumatics if I were you. They are a little more complicated to use especially if you are new to vex and you can still build a fantastic bot with 12 motors instead of pneumatics. 12 motors is also A LOT cheaper if you are on a tight budget, so you will be able to afford any odds and ends specific to your bot. I have always found motors to be a little more versatile than pneumatics, too.