I like the idea of Ronin being the only ones who can actually think (give them better reaction times than the other factions, maybe? )

I was under the impression that the robots have stereotypical robot-y AI an the coalition are made to mimic that while the Ronin are generally hoopy froods who know where their towel's at.

Well. I think that the coalition soldiers are basically meat puppets, with all their conscious brain sectors deactivated, leaving only the vital functions, and with an added AI chip, that only processes combat-oriented decisions and basic logic and communications, so that they can work as a team when left in stand-alone mode. Much like the clone soldiers in F.E.A.R.

The whitebots and normal robots should be much like those old sci-fi movie robots: capable of acting on their own, due to their advanced AI, but designed mainly to be controlled at a distance, by their owner, in case of the normal bots, or by a huge motherbrain thingy on orbit of the planet.

The dummies... Well, I can't remember where, but I am totally sure that Data ( ) reffered to them as "machines that have become sentient". So, my guess is that dummies were, originally, mere crash-test dummies. As time passed, to obtain more accurate measurements of what would happen to a human in car (or spaceship, whatever.) crashes, their makers started developing dummies that were more and more like living beings. They even gave them AIs and stuff, so that they could handle all the tests by themselves. Eventually, the dummies became so advanced that they could think by themselves and make sapient decisions, decided that getting hit by cars and throwing heavy stuff at each other, getting no reward for it, was definitely not the best course of action. They then revolted, and took control over the car factories and test labs, going to CC's planet either to gather resources for waging war against their previous masters (the coalition or tradestar, probably) or to try creating a safe haven for dummies around the universe.
So, basically, each dummy would be able to think for itself, but the controllers, that had originally been the factories' mainframes, would control the strategical aspects of the war and the dummy production centers, that made new soldiers for their horde.

The main reason that drove me to write that wall of text is that I think that the dummies are the freakin' coolest faction in the game, and I would hate seeing them be reduced to mindless puppets for no good reason. Also, if the coalition were the original masters of the dummies, that would explain why those factions are constantly attacking each other such as in Maginot or Dummy Assault.
[/offtopic] Also, dummies need more kinetic weapons and less energy ones. Oof, it was good to take that off my chest.

The Ronin... Well, I think that they are not, by any means, meat puppets, nor criminals. Judging by the nature of their actions against the coalition's cloning facilities, I would say that they are merely normal humans that revolted against the lack of respect to human rights that cloning and AI implants generated, and probably want to destroy cloning systems and technology, to return to the long-gone era in which humans were generated only by natural means. That may be the reason why they only used outdated weaponry, to remember themselves of the nostalgic ideals they are fighting for. The name "ronin", meaning "warrior devoid of a master" could also derive from that, simbolizing their desire to free themselves from the companies and militaristic organizations that control most aspects of life in that era, such as the Coalition and Tradestar.

The Browncoats are probably your usual mercenaries, working to whoever pays them the most money, but they may also have some obscure reason to explain their travel to CC's planet.

The Undead are, y'know, just your usual mindless zombies. They will hunt down humans on their own if left alone, but can be controlled by the necromancer that lives on the moon or by pheromones pumped on the air ( Probably that's how the Ronin controlled them in the Zombie Caves).

Wildlife is wildlife. Just a bunch of happy critters thinking for themselves. Though there may be a giant evil crab that controls them all.

Well, that's it. Sorry for the wall of text, but I felt an unstoppable urge to write it down.

Well that explained a lot. Though I'm sure Data said the Ronin are made from criminals, poor, and other people from slums. If they have also been converted to mindless cyborgs for war, then that's, just creepy.

Other than that, in the story, not gameplay, do brains control whole bands of army or just one guy at a time? Do they have brain upgrades that allow them to process the thoughts of like, 20 soldiers at once?

The brain controls only one unit at a time, although not sure if its gonna be made, but there was supposed to be this "help komputer" that runs the normal AI for the inactive units. Killing of that help komputer will turn all units into mindless vegetables.

Also, upgrades MY ASS.

I imagine the Ronin as the group of people who survived the matrix.
Everyone else was getting their brains removed and getting chip implants and they're all like "What the hell? Why am I doing this?!" and then rebelled.

That's my idea.

I really doubt they are criminals, I don't know why everyone is stuck on that.

My impression is all actors are meat bags, but appear sentient when under brain control, because for all intents and purposes, they are! That's my explanation for sentient actors in concept art, but generally they're all mindless meatbags.

We must conduct an armed assault on Data's house and force him to create a detailed book of lore for us fanboys to make fanfic of and drool over.

The general idea that Data seems to be pressing is the idea that you are a brain in a bunker and everyone else is a meat bag, but most of us seem to like seeing the Ronin as rebel heroes.

Also, does no one know their Douglas Adams?

That's the problem. If the robot in the art is controlled by a brain, it would obviously not refer to a mere clone meatbag as 'sir'.

It could be being sarcastic...
Though in all probability, most of what we have doesn't exactly have rigid canon as of yet, so does it really matter?

This is kind of going off topic but I'm kind of surprised none of the Ronin have any bionics, a Dimitri with glowing irises or a Mia with cyborg legs, I dunno.

You would think there would be some sort of cybernetics going on if you were space faring pirates.

Hell no. The Ronin have those bonuses through sheer manliness (and feminine grace).

Who needs implants when you are such cool dudes (and dudets).

I do recall reading somewhere that Coalition are normal HUMENS and clones.

The Ronin were once called the "Ragtag" Faction, indicating a motley assortment of soldiers/civilians kind of dedicated to doing whatever they want, like a street gang. The actual, real-life "Ronin" forces were rogue Samurai, so I'm guessing the Ronin are kind of like the Rebels from Star Wars. But cooler, because they've got better hair.

Dummies; non-sentient machines controlled by sentient Dummy Controllers.

Coalition; assortment of human and clone soldiers.

Midas/Tradestar; sentient machines with functioning AI.

Browncoats; these are described as clones in game, so I'm guessing genetically modified elite super-soldiers kind of thing. Maybe a branch of the Coalition, but a different faction.

Undead; revived meat puppets. Not much known since it includes skellies only ATM.

Wildlife; the wildlife! Sentient animals.