That has long been the suggestion, but what will I equip bots with then? They'll be harder and drop more valuable loot if I give them their non-rusty analogues. Early on in the game, we don't necessarily want people to be wealthy. It gives them motivation to continue and a sense of continual accomplishment, both of which are important for a game to be fun. This all only applies to newcomers of course as veteran players could care less, having already been through it.