Crey Clockwork

[Alchemystic]

So Crey, one of the leading corporations in Paragon City, built their empire upon the spoils of the Rikti War by exploiting the wealth of technology left by the alien invaders. Yet, they seem to have conspicuously been absent in the arms race followed by the Praetorian War, where Longbow, Arachnos, and Council have flourished;

 

Longbow, as many of you might have seen, have adopted the 'Mender' class Praetorian clockwork into the fold as a frontline combat utility robot, Arachnos however have integrated the BCU into their robotic arsenal, and Council have successfully manufactured a legion of WarWalkers.

But... what about Crey? Surely given their track record they should have something, right? After all, the Clockwork were designed by the Praetorian versions of former Crey staff; Synapse (Neuron) and Positron (Anti-Matter). So with that in mind, how about giving Crey a few of the consumer grade robotics to help improve their portfolio?

 

Intoducing; Crey's new line of consumer robotics! Available in Cleaner, Sweeper, Mender, Builder, Lifter and Dismantler models!

[Rudra]

To the best of my knowledge, Crey wasn't involved in any of the looting... I mean... reconnaisance and liberation... of Praetoria. However, it does make sense given how much effort Crey spends on infiltrating rivals to get their technology, that Crey would at least have something. So sure, I can agree with the OP.

[Greycat]

mmm.

 

Honestly, I think they're kind of spread out enough. Seeing them tied into even more groups ... eh, just isnt' that interesting to me, personally. Besides, given some of the dialog/NPC actions in Brickstown, they were supposed to be doing something else - I'd love to see what that was. (Though part of it sounds like it's leaning toward the same direction as Malta's "robots," if you know the lore there... just dealing with the Crey tanks instead.)

 

Heck, I don't think we have much payoff (other than a redside contact and some dialog) with Crey poking around with Rikti tech... which they've been doing since the original tutorial.

[srmalloy]

30 minutes ago, Greycat said:

Honestly, I think they're kind of spread out enough. Seeing them tied into even more groups ... eh, just isnt' that interesting to me, personally.

Now, on the other hand, having Praetorian clockwork appear as scenery, some partly disassembled, in a story arc, then clearly-prototype Crey copies (at first nonfunctional, then perhaps semifunctional, and finally  a few functional), where you get dialog through the arc from Crey staff bitching about how their project isn't getting the funding they deserve because of some other big thing that's drawn the Countess' attention, and they've only been able to make a few functional ripoffs new models, then finding out that Crey has, due to some oversight or shortsighted maneuver, drawn the attention of the Praetorians, who are mounting a (supposedly) covert operation to take back data that Crey stole, leading to a final mission where, like the Halloween "Whispered Rumor" tip mission to recover the Malleus Mundi, you recover this data, then have several choices for the disposition of the data Crey stole, with different badges and rewards for your decision. Giving the data back to Crey might get you a few charges of a Crey mob as a pet, selling it back to Crey or to the Praetorians might get you inf, keeping it to use its information might get you a rare recipe, destroying it might get you a piece of rare Tech salvage, etc.

 

And this gives a lead-in for making a second arc where you trace down the rumors about this 'other big thing' that Crey is working on, whose content I leave as an exercise for the student.

[Clave Dark 5]

6 hours ago, Greycat said:

Honestly, I think they're kind of spread out enough.

Agreed, the different groups start losing their flavor if we keep beefing them all up with those same robots.

[Zect]

Sounds great. Why not?

 

However, we don't necessarily need more of the exact same robots palette-swapped. Think more ambitiously and introduce all-new crey units whose background is simply that they incorporate Praetorian tech.

[Sakura Tenshi]

I feel like it might be a little bit better if we maybe gave the Crey Clockwork something unique from others. Specifically, maybe different powers, could be Crey found a way to cut costs even further, or realized they could add more functions (like maybe a cryo ray) for a minimal investment with much greater return.

 

so, yeah, while I’m not against praetorian clockwork proliferating into Paragon (and Rogue Isle) parties, mere palette swaps are painful for players and perchance these polymer peons should pick powers representing the people procuring them? (Couldn’t resist the alliteration once it started)

 

off on the side note, one of my characters who is a gang leader (hellion cell specifically) has a praetorian refugee who brought a clockwork with him they dubbed “roomba”, and I figured  if Roomba showed up in more than just RP text they’d be a rusted clockwork model with a giant, rusty fuel tank strapped to their back and basically using fire blast powers than actual plasma. Just as an example of how praetorian clockwork brought in could be customized.

[srmalloy]

21 hours ago, Sakura Tenshi said:

I feel like it might be a little bit better if we maybe gave the Crey Clockwork something unique from others. Specifically, maybe different powers, could be Crey found a way to cut costs even further, or realized they could add more functions (like maybe a cryo ray) for a minimal investment with much greater return.

Taking the 'main armament' from the Crey 'tank' mobs and swapping them in for the ranged attacks on the Praetorian Clockwork would be a good way to go about it -- certainly Crey already has production lines for the weaponry, so it's just a matter of integrating them into the Clockwork frames.

[Sakura Tenshi]

You know, not to hijack the thread, but thinking about it, I think if any group grabbed up the baseline clockwork from Praetoria, I think it'd be the Sky Raiders. Sky Raiders have worked with the Praetorians and there was bound to be a price they asked. The Jump Bot description notes how Sky Raiders do suffer a bit in the numbers department, The Market Crash TF does suggest they're working on something (besides just giant robots), and as for things that could make the Sky Raider clockwork unique could include things like throwing on a jump/jet pack and using conventional arms with distribution across minion, lieutenant, and boss rank. As another plus it even sort of nods to the addition of UAVs in modern air forces/militaries.

[kito]

I mean. Every Groupe should get something from the war as one thing gets tech outher will steal it and sell it down. Even skulls managed to get the quantum guns to target nictus. I would just like to see some armor upgrades myself something the crey could "invent" and patent. I think the #1 thing the crey where getting out of Pretoria was Refugi scientist and heros from the power corps. 

 

Would be nice to see the Freakshow with some Teck upgrades. From the was as well. Really I think the only things to not get anything would be lost/rik'ti and devouring earth. I think every other vg in coh would have something from the war by now.

[biostem]

Now we need an arc where Praetoria reasserts control over ALL such units and turns them against their "masters" - then Crey's true genius in NOT adopting them will shine through!

[Greycat]

On 1/9/2023 at 11:58 PM, kito said:

I mean. Every Groupe should get something from the war as one thing gets tech outher will steal it and sell it down. Even skulls managed to get the quantum guns to target nictus.

 

To target Peacebringers and Warshades, and these were handed out by the Council. The Skulls didn't steal it or buy it from some other group that did. They were specifically spread out to target Kheldians.

 

10 minutes ago, biostem said:

Now we need an arc where Praetoria reasserts control over ALL such units and turns them against their "masters" - then Crey's true genius in NOT adopting them will shine through!

 

I still seem to recall some "hint," waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back when, about a possible downside to using Hami-Os - like they'd stop working or turning against the people who slotted them at some point or in some event that never came to be.

[Akisan]

Crey could be currently reverse-engineering and upgrading a piece of tech that we've only seen the IDF field so far - the combat drones that IDF leutenants & bosses summon to assist them.  I don't see Paragon Protectors using these drones, but adding status effects to other crey bosses seems appropriate.

[Rudra]

Now I'm picturing two new mobs among the Crey line up. The Field Overseer (lieutenant with battle orb summoning) and the Civic Defender (boss with cannon drone summon).

[biostem]

Stat-wise, are Praetorian Clockwork any better than say, Council Mechmen or any of the other robots one can encounter at higher levels, though?  I mean, if Crey could just shove a robot control unit into some of their power armor units, and they're at least a durable/hard hitting, why not go that route?

[twozerofoxtrot]

Ehhh....

 

Crey really cares about people. Their product lines tend to focus more on the individual than a heartless, souless machine. 

 

In fact some of their best products are people!