Didn't I remember there was some bs disney marketing around the designs of stormtroopers throughout the STAR WAR with Doug Chaing, and they got into the new Sith Troopers and JJ mentioned that these new troopers will be explained in The Rise of Skywalker? Or was that just a dream?

And if it was real, what was the explanation? I don't remember finding anything out about these troopers or barely seeing them in action. It was a blink and you'll miss it, we have a red trooper variant to sell more toys moment.

Or maybe I watched the wrong movie...

Merchandising. Nothing more, nothing less.

Yep, They're basically First Order troopers with a new color.

The Sith Troopers are Stormtroopers with red armor who serve the Sith. Of course it moichandising.

I agree with many of the points in the Cracked story, but this one stands out as easily explained well enough in the movies:

Also, does the First Order directly control any systems, or does it simply float through space and issue stern commands in British accents? If they're an actual sovereign government, isn't the Republic committing war crimes? And if the First Order somehow isn't a functioning government, are they the space equivalent of ISIS?

The First Order is not an sovereign government. The New Republic is. The FO is the ISIS of this part of the story. They are the war criminals. The Resistance is resisting the First Order terrorists, not the Republic.

The entire aesthetic of the sequel trilogy, IMO, is absolutely dreadful. Everything from costumes to spaceships to locations. The only thing that’s truly progressive/interesting, from a design perspective, is BB8.

Design wise, I also think Kylo Ren, Exegol and Crait are interesting. But other than those locations I agree.