Grox

Mechanicaos cruelis (cruel machine) or The Grox are a sentient species of cyborg aliens generally considered to be the most evil and hostile in the galaxy. They are most notable for their evil and hostility, but are also notable for their asymmetric, weak appearance. They have a astonishing amount of colonies surrounding the galactic core, serving as an obstacle to the player. They are drastically aggressive and only seem to be able to live on otherwise uninhabitable T0 planets. Raising a planet's T-Score will make it impossible for the Grox to inhabit it. It is very hard to defeat the Grox since their amazingly vast empire spans over circa 1000 star systems. The followers of Spode believe that the Grox are the greatest evil, even more so than regular persons who reject the will of Spode, and only The False God That Will Come is hated as much as them.

Basic

 * 2,700 HP
 * 150 DPS
 * Nearly as fast as the player

Abilities

 * Unlimited Mega Repair Packs
 * Cloak

Basic

 * Machine

Abilities

 * Too toxic for cargo hold.

Nature
Feared by every empire in the galaxy, the Grox as a species are extremely delicate and weak and have only survived due to their incredible intelligence, mainly at mechanical work and cybernetics technology. As they developed around incredibly hostile species, they themselves grew to believe that the only way to survive in the universe was fierce aggression/expansionism and seeing other lifeforms as slime not deserving of even their disapproval. Although their minimal senses and weakness have been slightly enhanced with cybernetic implants, they still are among the most feeble sentients in the galaxy, but make up for it with incredible military might, and the ability to prosper in barren, dead planets. Unlike most land creatures, Grox have a strange intolerance to air, although they necessarily don't have to live in a vacuum (Though they might breath a different gas instead of oxygen). As such, they can only survive on T0 planets completely devoid of other life. If a planet's terrascore is at least T1, the planet cannot be inhabited by Grox without anti-terraforming the planet to T0.

Culture
The implants of the Grox serve an important religious as well as functional purpose. The meaning are to not only be distant from others, but to remind of their own physical weakness, which is why other empires are unfit to roam the universe, because they don't deserve their gifts. They also take part in the culture of others, though it is a mixture an attempt to mimic the average life form behaviour to manipulate them. They are bad at acting with a normal personality without drawing attention to their cyborg anatomy, but they understand the Spice trade and Sporebucks.

Toxicity
The Grox are 'toxic', as exposure to air causes them to disintegrate. If the player tries to abduct a Grox citizen, they are instantly destroyed because they are 'too toxic for your cargo hold.' This 'toxicity' is shrouded in mystery, but it does indeed tie in to how the Grox Empire is viewed by other civilizations, as an abomination of incomprehensible size that must nonetheless, be feared. It is likely related to their implants or how they survive on T0 planets.

Aggression
The Grox are over twice as distrusting as a Zealot Empire (-30 compared to the Grox's -70). They also have a resistance to relationship improving devices, such as the happy ray. The Grox are extremely hard to defeat or ally with due to their size and aggression. They only willingly work for fellow cyborgs, or the rare organic life form that appeases them to the point of owing a favour.

Dealing with Grox
Although the manual says "they don't understand relationships" you may still deal with Grox (or kill them).

How to ally with Grox


To ally with the Grox fly towards the center of the galaxy, you will come across them way before you get there. You need 5 Planet Bombs, the Super Happy Ray, and a few health packs to heal while you're going to their planets for missions. They will attack you until you become allied. Do missions for them until you receive the maximum +50 reputation. You can plant an embassy on one of their planets, but they will attack it before you are allied with them. Use the super happy ray until you receive a maximum of +30 reputation for "using friendly tools," even with the best energy pack, you will need to recharge a few times before you're done. Blow up 4 innocent planets (not the Grox) or more until you've maxed to 50 (you'll receive +50 rep. with the Grox for "breaking Galactic Code"). Give them gifts of 100,000 spore bucks 4 times to receive a maximum +10 reputation. It is possible to ally with them once you have a positive 70 relationship with the Grox, so you need to earn a total of +140 reputation (they start with -70). It is easier if you colonize a planet a little near them so you can re-energize, but you can still establish trade routes with them if you don't. When you become allied with the Grox, you receive -200 reputation with every other empire in the game and anyone with whom you do not have an excellent relationship with will declare war on you. Those with whom you have a +200 or more relationship will probably cancel their alliances but not declare war, and if you have active trade routes they might stay allied with you. If you have lots of money you can pacify anyone who declares war on you by bribing them, this will erase the -200 reputation from allying with the Grox. The Grox will give you a ship with 3600 health to add to your fleet, which is better than any other empire. For that you will automatically receive the Dance With The Devil badge.

How to defeat Grox
You have three basic options when trying to defeat the Grox — terraforming, conventional warfare or planet busting. The Grox control some 600 to 1,000 systems and thus will take a long while. Detailed information on defeating Grox is in the Badge Outta Heck article. When you are on a Grox planet, a quick way to destroy a city and many others is to use a mega laser. You will not get a automatic capture system from most if not all Grox stars, so another way to kill them off is to use an Anti-matter bomb, since it would require recolonizing anyway.

Trivia

 * In the Creature phase and Tribal phase a spaceship can be seen abducting other species from the player's home planet. Using the spyglass or clicking the ship will show what ship it is. Sometimes this is a Grox ship.


 * Their asymmetry is likely a symbol of their evil in the Spore universe, where every other living creature is perfectly symmetrical. Although it is possible to make a creature asymmetrical.


 * If you ally with the Grox, go to one of their cities to hear their anthem. The player will hear only static and keening, but if the player waits enough, the static will disappear and one of the Grox will start singing happily in a deep, strangely not robotic, voice. This has been likened to the poetry of the Vogons from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.


 * The Grox are believed to be based largely on The Borg from the Star Trek series, in fact their name in the coding (and original name) is groB, which is Borg backwards.


 * They may also be based on the idea that humans are becoming more dependent on technology, and how we (humans) may not even have been able to survive this long without our intelligence.


 * Through means of a hack. It is possible to play as them in their original form.


 * The Grox can be dragged and dropped into the creature editor, provided one can find the PNG, when loaded. Clicking on an asymmetric part instantly turns it symmetric, the parts do not have morph handles and the robot cranium is VERY glitchy when symmetric, they also can not be saved without a Hack unless the eyes are removed and the cybernetics are taken off


 * The followers of the Books of Science call them an experiment that has not run it's full course. Despite the vaugeness, there is seemingly more for the Grox in the future.


 * The Grox often make humorously poor threats and compliments due to their misunderstanding of the culture and personality of normal species, like "You will not get a holiday card this year" and "Good work! You are a credit to all slow thinking carbon based lifeforms".


 * When the Grox declare war on you, their message declaring war to you finishes with the words "EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!", a reference to the Dalek's from the Doctor Who series.


 * Strangely enough, playing as the Grox causes you to be called the The Grox Empire in space and your color is a bright red, as opposed to their signature dark maroon.


 * When a Grox colony surrenders, the transmission reads "Grox Surrender. Does Not Compute" This is a reference to robots in poular culture doing something outside of their capabilities, or when one actions against their will.


 * It is still possible to ally them without breaking Galactic Code


 * The Grox have an unique kind of eye, resembling the Beady Eye with visible eyelids, it has been nick-named "Cute eye" or "Grox eye".

Taxonomy

 * Kingdom: Animalia
 * Phylum: Chordata
 * Class: Synapsida
 * Order: Therapsida
 * Family: Groxidae
 * Genus: Mechanicaos (OluapPlayer, 2008)
 * Species: Mechanicaos cruelis (OluapPlayer, 2008)