I have to disagree with you about the Empire. If you think helping out incompetence and overall stupidity is being part of a warmachine, then hey, you are part of the biggest warmachine in the galaxy. Seriously, it seems like every world I go to makes me /facepalm for the things I do for the Empire. The Empire is constantly losing stuff (which if they put some effort into it, could easily reclaim for themselves), are always, ALWAYS under-maned/under-equipped to do ANYTHING (funny, you have all these soldiers and equipment just lying around...), and the officers are basically clueless as to what to do next. I swear I am waiting for a Quest for my Inquisitor that goes along the lines of, "My Lord thank the stars you are here! I cannot seem to find my ***, despite my head being shoved into it! I am using both hands, I swear!"
Neither faction is "better" than the other. The Republic is a slightly evil Sergeant Bilko, and the Empire is Gomer Pyle, USMC.