I demand a copy of that mod.

Hah, I totally have a top hat lying around as well that I slap on random actors for fun.

A tip of the hat to YOU good sir!

Personally for me it's like this-

Coalition- Have a degree of intelligence, but no free will at all. They're just empty shells to control. They're a military force here to gain control for humanity.

Ronin- A scavenging rebellion group against the cloning process that removes free will. Or perhaps they aren't clones at all. They're here because they want to stop the coalition, not for the gold.

Dummies- Cheap yet efficient troopers with extremely basic AI. They're here because they're greedy, not for any particular goal.

Whitebots- Working for the tradestar thing itself. Similar to the dummies, but they have much more resources to work with, and they're much more organized about it.

Browncoats- Mercenaries. They're here because people pay them to kill things.

As for the Dummy Controller, I always thought it was more like a safety precaution. Like the brain doesn't want to get into combat, but doesn't want to loose a resource, so it leaves a Dummy Controller, and then uses that to connect to the units from a longer distance than normal. Once the Controller is destroyed, the link is destroyed, and the units all go braindead, but the brain itself is fine.

...Sort of like a proxy brain server or something.

Coalition - Green Clones. That is, dumb unless you are controlling them.
Dummies - Cheap, Non-Biological alternatives to Green Clones, Plastic so they're cheaper than Robots too.

Ronin - Guerrilla Warfare group that somehow manages to conquer motherbrains
because they are each a fully functioning body so they can multi-task like no brain can.

Whitebots - White Dummies, Galactic Police force

Browncoats - Basically like the little incredible hulk version of a green clone.

And a monocle. NO I DON'T CARE HOW IT STAYS ON. DUCT TAPE.

Am I the only one who sees the factions as companies that sell warfare goods to brains?
The only thing I would consider a faction are dummy controllers that became self aware.

Interesting topic. This is how I see it...
Dummies - Cannon fodder used by a variety of factions.
Coalition - Military force (cloned people) trying to take control over the planet's resources.
Ronin - Resistance against the coalition (?) who stole some cloning or vita-chamber-style technology from the coalition/trade star
WhiteBots - Advanced robots manufactured by trade star Midas, sent to the planet to counter other forces and get gold.
Browncoats - Genetically modified bodies cloned by trade star and sold to any brain who wants them.

Dummy controllers are just backups that started becoming sentient and noticed that they and the dummies were only there to die for someone else. Then they rebelled and formed their own faction to kill anyone who seemed a threat.

How did Cortex Command start? I guess it's like the movie Surrogates, but you're a brain instead of some dude sitting in a chair.

I like how top hats are scattered between more relevant posts.

Top hats are always relevant.

I nominate this the bestest topic in CC history.
In other news, have a tophat.

My take:
Coalition: A group of small mining companies that banded together to fight off their larger rivals.
Dummy: Target practice dummies that became self-aware.
Ronin: Some kind of eco-terrorist organization that is trying to sabotage mining operations on the planet.
Browncoat: A mercenary group, selling heavily armored and powerful soldiers to the highest bidders.
Whitebot: One of the 'larger rivals' mentioned in the Coalition description. They own the Trade Star, and have a share of whatever profits are sent up.

Coalition: Hardcoar military dudes.
Ronin: Rebels who fight the coalition
Dummies: Top-hatted gentlemen who enjoy fine wine
Browncoats: Awesome mercenaries
Whitebot: Tradestar's main military peoples.

Apart from the dummies, i always thought of these "factions" as various companies selling units, tools, craft, or whatever else a commander might need with tradestar being something like an online magazine where the companies sell their things. but to put it in list form:

Coalition - mainly a weapons and tool company, but mass-produces clones for basic defence and operations of facilities.

Browncoats - A band of cloned mercenaries owned by eh... someone, i feel they should be merged into the ronin.

Ronin - Since we're never informed WHAT exactly it is they're rebelling against, i'll assume it's the use of proper digging tools. they produce a plethora of relatively similar soldiers that they have affectionately named, and some modernized versions of antique weapons.

Dummies - these are outright the coolest faction in this game. They are machines who have gained sentience and overthrown their rulers. The ones available for purchase are those produced by a new company, and have a new ai program that won't cause them to rebel. The rebel dummys' goal is to kill humanity as far as i can tell.

Whitebots - not really sure about these guys, but they seem to be the leader in military technology, the kind of things you would use for frontlines combat, the ones who will ultimately lay claim to this new planet.

AND NOW FOR THE EXCITING CONCLUSION:
-Browncoats
Basicly badass supersoldier mercs for hire.
-Coalition
Did anyone say mass-produced?
-Dummies
Independant independencies that want you dead.
-Wildlife
"Look sir, free crabs!"
-Undead
Just your average undead. Might want to eat your brain and that's a problem cause htat's all that you are.
-Whitebots
Elite super specops ninja robots that are very secret and we haven't seen them in actiion before soon now.
-Blackbots
Badass robots that are mass produced in a dark factory. They look like the kind of robot that kicks you down into the dirt and fires off a volley of shotgun shells right into your brain.
-Ronin
What is left of the swedish goverment after a midas came to earth.