Noooo.. Deepground Soldiers are not.. "SOLDIERs." They really aren't, and technically the title shouldn't be capitalized. It's been romanized as "Soldier" officially.
They are not the results of Hojo and Project S's experiments, which is technically what SOLDIERs are. They are born of
other experiments. Using mako and creating mako addiction which requires mako suits. That's why they're called
Deepground Soldiers. Those are not the same as SOLDIER. They're the Deepground variety.
The ones that are of SOLDIER, are the ones that use swords, wear the SOLDIER uniform, and literally call themselves SOLDIER. The ones with guns, are called DG soldiers. Above them are the DG snipers, then DG Heavy Armed Soldiers, SOLDIERs, the Heavy Armed Soldiers B and then Commanders. The small fry with guns are literally at the bottom of the totem pole, that's where you start in multiplayer mode and you definitely aren't SOLDIER level. They aren't "normal" but they aren't a SOLDIER by a long shot.
And yes, some of the DG weapons
are old fashioned, to the point that if they had new weapons,
why would they be using them?
Look at them. The DG Soldiers are using Lee Enfield rifles that are bolt action and magazine fed, while the WRO are using Sig 552 assault rifles, modern and metallic. The higher ranking DG Soldiers (like heavy armed soldiers) may use modern, high tech weapons but the
lowest ranks? The soldier grunts who are the largest in number? They're relegated old weapons that have been retrofitted.
And I don't know how you're sure Argento isn't the one making their weapons or supplies or anything at all. We literally have no clue whatsoever how she works
or what she does. For all we know, the automation capabilities of DG are what allows them to self sustain other supplies. If she's able to create every Tsviet's weapon, from gunblade katanas, to mechanical wing-arms,
to an anti-tank material gun... I don't see how you can say with certainty she's not the one behind manufacturing anything. We don't know. What we do know is that she's the only one attributed to making anything at all.
They got them, but with the way the President talks about Airbuster, or Scarlet and Heidegger talk about the Proud Clod or how Rufus talks about the Highwind, it's clear these are singular units. Deepground gets the humongous spiderbots that fire missles that strike targets a mile away mass produced. Shinra could've really used that cira FFVII.
But that's
not true. Their robots are definitely
not singular units and they do have units like those in FFVII. The Proud Clad is unique because it was just built. But there have been numerous copies of their robots seen over time. We've seen other Guard Scorpions in Crisis Core
all over the world. They were used in Modeoheim, Midgar and Junon against Genesis.
Shinra has Grand Panzer Tanks they let loose en masse. They're used against Genesis, and then by Genesis as well. Grand Panzer Tanks are also used in FFVII as enemies in Midgar to stop Cloud. Moth and Hell Slashers are used all over Midgar and elsewhere as security robots, including the Shinra Building. The Helligunner and Hundred-Gunner are in Crisis Core too as robot troops that are sent to fight Genesis and against Zack. And then there are like the billion different variants of "sweepers." The small ones, big ones, and fully armed ones with missile launchers. There's also Eagle Gunners, Wolfmeisters, and Guardians that they use. And I'm certain there's more.
The Black Widow robots used by Deepground are roughly the same in power and size as a Guard Scorpion. And Guard Scorpions utilize long range missiles too. The only difference is that they're is a whole
bunch of them 3 years post FFVII and the WRO is outmatched since Shinra's technology is gone. I don't think you can just say that Shinra is somehow technologically deficient in regards to robotic weaponry. They're not one-offs, and they were used. The only problem is that Shinra was in crisis and not able to use them properly.
And even if they sent those units to the Northern Crater, you really think that'd make a difference? They'd just go haywire and either stop functioning or go berserk and kill people.
The Deepground city is underground. Like, waaaay underground. The slums are on solid ground. There's no implication there are structures beneath it. And not emphasize a relevation is par for the course with DoC. The WRO has no idea what their airships are powered by, what civilisation built them, ectera. they just exist, suddenly.
Are you forgetting all of the
literal old Kalm-like buildings and broken city structures that are found within Deepground when Vincent infiltrates the place?
Yes, it's way underground. And way underground, there was a city. An old city that apparently was buried and forgotten that predates Deepground.