I am in the process of forming a VRC team for middle schoolers at my home garage.
Just wondering if for 1 team only, it is worth spending $549.99 to purchase a full field & game element kit. It looks like there are three bundles in this kit. I would like to spend minimum money possible, given this is the only 1 team we have this year.
(1) [VRC 2022 - 2023 Game Element Kit (276-7501)]
(1) [VRC 2022 - 2023 Field Element Kit 1 (276-7502)]
(1) [VRC 2022 - 2023 Field Element Kit 2 (276-7503)]
Depending on the game, you might not need everything in the complete kit for practice. Sometimes you can build practice equipment that will work perfectly. But you won’t know until the game release…so you should probably wait until then. Depending on the game, you might be able to split a kit with another team.
You could make models of some of the field elements cheaply, for example I have seen cardboard mobile goals this year for testing clamps. If you know someone who has a 3d printer, you can ask them if you can borrow it. There are also amazing services online for ordering 3d prints for small game elements such as rings. However, many times, you can just survive using the diagrams found in Appendix A with the dimensions, you only really need a field for high level auton practice and for programming and driver skills. However, for a first year team, I would not place a field on top of the priority list. As @kmmohn said, you will just have to wait until the game reveal on May 5th to see how game elements can be modelled.
It depends on your goals for the year. And it also depends on the game (which we don’t know), and whether having all the parts of the field are necessary). In the past you were able to purchase a half-field, but it seems VEX removed that option.
The main benefit of purchasing a full field is for running skills, as you are able to practice the full driver skills and do programming skills at home, without much guesswork.