I have always felt that game balances requires scarcity of some builds from some cabals.
And empire is one of those.
Arcane sect would mean hasted cents and inners etc.
Plus the weak ap players getting a busy to neuro for them. (I don't include Shaapa, Torak or Elystan in this, and I'm sure I've missed a few decent ap players. But equally some of the ones that built a big weapon required protection and or gank partner. Like a certain ap getting an out of PK healer to log on and protect him until he got lightning control.