Yeah. Like I said I can see some specific exceptions. Like going all the way back to 1E astral security mages in our games targeted focuses. So I can see mages not taking them until they can mask them. We as a group thematically really dislike mixing tech with magic so pure mages and adepts are common. And a pure adept might be 12 dice, though I'd expect at least 2 dice in +skill if they didn't augment agility so 14 dice and if its a combat skill just + agility 1 or 2. But, I guess its possible they focused entirely on other stuff out of the gate like critical strike 6 or something weird. But that's a weird outlier which I wouldn't balance missions around.
Both of the my exceptions though are my table, so I'd expect I'd be balancing a game around our weirdness. Though the focus one just makes sense to me. The setting is set up that when you trip a astral alarm a astral mage shows up and there are only a few things they can target your focuses are one of them. Though in 6E I haven't the foggiest idea how you target a focus. It has a astral form, but that's all I know.