Larian Studios Forums Divinity: Original Sin 2 Divinity - Original Sin 2 - General Item scaling, randomization and you.

Putting the best armor in the first town was bad design, I think.

In most cases BG1 and IWD1 were very good in how they gave you items.
It felt important when you finally could find/afford your first longsword+1.
You gained power rather slowly and each step made you feel stronger.

My favourite games regarding world exploration were Gothic1+2 and Risen1.
You could go anywhere right from the start (except some areas owned by some fractions).
But in the beginning you are so weak that a lone wolf is a big danger to you.
You could kill a troll at lv1. But you had to poke it with a wooden stick for 1h without being hit.
I have played only D:OS so far, but I think the other Larian games went in the same direction.

Combining everything above:
You can find a good armor at the very beginning. But you must sneak past lots of enemies that can kill you with a single hit. If you can kill or avoid powerful enemies, then you have earned good equipment. But putting the best armor in the first town is just cheap.