Best/fastest way to ally someone for a quick outpost/recruit units?

[Nhika]

Playing Khatep on NORMAL, just recently started trade.. gave them a medium gift and they're on "track" to 50(?) favorable.

Would I have been better off just raising my power ranking by conquering more stuff, getting more money -> hit Tier 4/5 and then bother with alliances?

[RomulanPraetor]

I buy alliances/treaties with settlements of common foes (if I really do want/need that or can't use the settlement)

[Okat]

Trading settlements is the easiest way to secure military alliances. The value of the settlement depends on its development (the more stuff in it, the more valuable it is), how much of the province the faction you are trading to owns (if it's the last settlement they need to control a province, they will want it very badly), and whether it is a province capital (extra valuable). There may be a couple of other variables, but those are the big ones, far as I know.

Doing it without trading settlements can take a long time. They will be more likely to want an alliance if they are at war with a common foe and are not doing very well against it.

[MadArtillery]

Trading settlement for sure, especially if it finishes a province for the ai