I'm confused about how new people play on existing servers

I love the game but I dont understand how it is supposed to allow new players to join dedicated servers that have been running for a while. I could be wrong and I frequently am but here is an example of what I think happens. I am a new player coming down in my pod, but at least 12 people have come down in my area over the last 4 months and mined all the nearby iron. As a new player, I dont have a vehicle, good weapons or much ammo. I now have to walk all over the planet in an effort to find...

I'm confused about how new people play on existing servers