Very wise move, says I.

However, the idea was to give people free Legion, and not free hive.

I fear you were not even giving people "free Hive."* You were giving them free fiat. For most people (yes, there are exceptions) free money basically amounts to "free pizza" and such things. Sad, but generally true... and at the heart of why so many projects that are front loaded with "free stuff" as a draw end up going T.U.