Their are many ways to get to worlds but what is better having a good robot or a good notebook. And what I have seen that the people who goes to worlds is people with a good notebook.
Well, really you need both. To get Excellence you require a really good notebook, but you are also required to be in the top 40% of qualifications, top 40% of auton skills and top 40% of driver skills for that event. So you need a good robot and good programming for that. You could in theory be able to just win Tournament Champs by just having a really good robot and doing lots of driver practise, but even then you have to get a bit lucky with pairings, but you are way less likely to go than if you also have a great notebook
I’d say the notebook takes slight precedence of a good robot. Granted, while a good robot is crucial, it’s easier (in my opinion) to remake a robot than an entire notebook. Of course, remaking a notebook doesn’t take any physical work, but a complete rehaul of the notebook almost seems illegal to me. I dunno. Maybe I’m wrong?
I’d definitely always take design over skills or tournament champion. I don’t care if people view it as less important, I’m proud of my notebook and winning design/excellence allows you to get more award options the higher you go up.
Furthermore, a good notebook can actually influence your robot in a very positive way.
Well, it’s got to be a good notebook combined with a really good interview. Typically at a world qualifying event, there will be several notebooks that are equally good, and so the decision for excellence and other qualifying Awards will come down to the interview.
A good notebook makes it easier to make a good robot because it requires you to go through the engineering design process.
Both; if you have a good robot, you would most likely have a good notebook. That doesn’t mean a “bad” robot could have a “bad” notebook, because many teams that do poorly in a world qualifying tournament have won notebook awards that do qualify for the world championship.