I haven't done an update in a while, so I probably haven't made this clear. The Torqual, Doraz, and Zir are all HT-8 right now, and all three recently achieved that tech level. The Alliance recently reached HT-10. To be amalgamated into the Alliance, the associates have to be at an equivalent tech level, so it will be some time before they can be integrated. The Alliance is helping all three with their research efforts, but even so it will take time.
I always used the house rule that was suggested somewhere of when you uplift a low tech race (pre-ind, ind1 or ind2) you bring them to your tech level otherwise they were pointless fluff, and GFFP kicks in (for the uninitiated that's Genocide For Fun and Profit - basically wipe hem out and steal their stuff and planet). The rational being why teach them transistors when you can teach molycircs.
Can't remember the official rules for a helping a HT race, but I'd probably do something similar, either a direct bump up or otherwise massively accelerated R&D, otherwise the time it takes can be longer than a normal game.
The current rules allow a higher tech race with a trade or better relationship to assist the tech research of the lower tech race, giving them a 150% research rate. They still have to research items at each tech level, though. The Alliance will likely be able to amalgamate the Torqual and the Doraz in a reasonable amount of time at this point, but their other associates are so low tech that I don't think it can be done in a reasonable number of turns.
I understand your points, but for a solo campaign being heavily role-played, like the Cold War campaign, I can find all sorts of reasons to avoid GFFP for most of my races.
Kurt
