The Dregin manufacturing buildings are much weaker than those of other races. The pace of the Drengin actually feels much slower as a result. I was told there was a round of buffs to those buildings, but if so it looks like the Drengin were skipped.
As for the Altarians, I don't know how to get past Entertainment Centers for approval buildings. The other races have a building that opens up in the "Enjoyment" tech. Altarians don't. They do have the next level: Stadium, but it's not possible to upgrade from Entertainment Center to Stadium.