So I'm 43 years old and although I played UT2004 decades ago (and a smattering of TF2 here and there) I am very, very new to the modern FPS. Playing Valorant has been... rough. The learning curve has been incredibly steep and although I'm improving I am still absolutely horrible and totally deserve my Iron1 (less than 50 points) rank.

I'm watching videos to learn the game, working in AimLabs and Valorant Practice to improve my reaction time, cursor height and aim. I warm up playing Deathmatch (which is both helping me learn the maps, learn to place the sounds AND working on putting into practice my aim, reaction, cursor placement training) and when I've gotten to my new kill count consistently I jump into competitive. And oh boy, what a wild right that is!

Sometimes I get some really great teams and win or lose they're great sports. I'm bottom fragging most of the time (occasionally as I'm getting better I might encounter some teams/players where I'm top 2 or 3, but bottom frag is where I mostly land) so I feel for my teammates. I know I'm being carried and that if I was a better player we'd be doing better. Unfortunately the only way I'm going to get better at competitive is to play competitive (unranked has too random/wide of a pool of players so I get stomped too often and more people messing around). So to those of you who are de-ranking because I just wasn't able to contribute enough, I absolutely apologize. I feel the pain, and when you're encouraging and giving me tips I take those and really, really appreciate it (and for those who have friended me, really appreciated that too!)

For the rest of you? What the heck is wrong with you? When you scream at me how terrible I am (and I mean literally screaming). What were you expecting? We're playing in the lower ranked iron matches. Of COURSE I'm going to be terrible! For those who tell me to uninstall, cuss me out, mock me or the most recent incident was to report me for throwing (man, that one stung because I was trying my dangdest!). Why? I just don't get the toxicity that just seems to permeate. It's like the new way of just talking to each other. Just makes me feel even older! LOL.

For the most part I shake it off. I'm learning to play because my kids are playing and a couple a days a week they jump into matches with me and that makes it totally worth all the torment I get soloing the other days as I try to learn more and more about this game. Sometimes though, it's rough. Even being older, sometimes words just kind of hurt.

So if you're out there, and you come across some crappy player, maybe just pause before hitting them up with some hurtful stuff and maybe help them out a bit. If they're like me, they'll really appreciate it. A rising tide lifts all boats, you attract more flies with honey than vinegar, insert some other trite saying here? Being nice costs you nothing after all!

TLDR; Be nice to your dad aged players (or you know, just be nice in general everywhere, always)