You’re so inspiring, Lucas! I loved writing when I was a kid but I had a few teachers tell me I was horrible and I believed them so I stopped. You’re so brave to decide to write even though you haven’t enjoyed it. Even though, people have probably told you that your writing is wrong.
I hope you’ll keep sharing your thoughts, ideas, stories, and tips… they matter and they’re perfect exactly the way you write them.
I don’t play these kinds of games (I’m old and uncool like that) but I’m going to restack this for all of my subscribers who are starting!
Thanks Dre. I really don't like to write but writing gives me a sense of good feelings here. I do get discouraged too when my teachers tell me my writing is horrible because I'm not good on paper. I am good on computers and typing so it is easier here for me to write my thoughts. Especially when I'm writing about something I love like Fortnite. Thanks for being supportive and for sharing your story with me. It sounds a lot like mine.
I just finished reading your article, “Don’t Be a Noob,” and honestly, I feel like you wrote it just for me.
I’ll admit, I’ve never played Fortnite before—mostly because I’m a total newbie when it comes to games like this. The idea of jumping into a match where everyone else already knows what they’re doing kind of freaks me out.
BUT, my kids and grandkids play...and I love sitting on the couch to watch the matches on our big flatscreen.
That said, your article actually made me feel a bit braver.
My kids keep asking me to play, soooo, maybe I should give it a try?
It’s clear you know what you’re talking about, and I love how you broke everything down without making it overwhelming.
You’ve inspired me, but I was hoping you could help me with a few questions.
Keep in mind, I’m starting from absolute zero here, so feel free to explain things like you would to someone who’s just installed the game five minutes ago.
Here’s what I’m wondering:
1. What’s the first thing I should do when I start a match?
Okay, picture me: I’m in the game, I’m flying over the map in the Battle Bus, and I have no idea what’s going on. Should I land somewhere with other players to practice fighting, or should I head for quieter spots to just figure out how not to embarrass myself? Any advice on where to go and what to do first would be super helpful!
2. What’s the deal with all the weapons? How do I know which ones are good?
I’ve heard there are lots of different weapons in Fortnite, but how do I even begin to know what’s worth picking up? Are there “beginner-friendly” weapons I should stick to? And do I need to worry about things like ammo, or does the game take care of that automatically?
3. Building…uh, what? How do you even start learning this part of the game?
I’ve seen videos of people building these crazy towers and walls at lightning speed, and it looks impossible to learn as a beginner. Is there a simpler way to practice this? Like, what’s the most basic thing I need to know about building so I don’t get destroyed in my first match?
4. What happens if I get caught outside the storm? Is it instant death?
I don’t fully understand how the storm works—do I just have to keep running to stay ahead of it? What happens if I get stuck outside it for a while? And are there specific items or strategies that help you survive when the storm gets close?
5. How do I even survive a fight?
Let’s say I bump into another player—how do I avoid getting eliminated in two seconds? Do I focus on aiming, hiding, or just running away? What’s the easiest way to start learning how to handle fights without feeling completely hopeless?
Lucas, you’ve already got such a great way of explaining things, and I know you’d make Fortnite feel way less intimidating for someone like me.
Thanks for inspiring me to step outside my comfort zone.
I’m looking forward to hearing your advice so I can finally stop being a “noob” and start having some fun.
Thanks, Jaime. I am working on a new post just for your questions. Thank you for the ideas and support. I love your books! I'm almost done reading the Underlings with the book club and we love it. My favorite part was when Ru and Ro had to fight the rats and Ro became a rat to protect his sister. It was nice that his sister healed him after. It's a really good story. We cheated the last book club meeting and instead of reading aloud we listened to your audio on substack with popcorn. It is fun and I can't wait to finish the story.
Lucas, this was so good! I’m so proud of you for taking a chance and writing this—and doing such a great job! I would have never guessed you’d be interested in writing on Substack, but I’m so glad you felt inspired—I knew if you talked about something you love, you could create something very interesting. I love it!
By the way, I had no idea what a noob was, and even though I can’t play those games, after reading this, I’d feel more confident to try Fortnite without worrying so much about being a beginner. I can’t wait to see what you write about next!
Wow, finally I understand why as soon as I start trying to pay the game , everyone targets me always taking me out fast. I never by skins so now with this information I understand why I’m a walking target. lol. Thanks for the tip and as a noob trying to get practice this will really help me improve my game!!! Great instruction writing and looking forward to reading more of your content. You rock dude!!!!
Thanks for the post. The first time I played I hadn’t got a clue what I was doing so articles like this are so valuable to help players get in to the game. Keep up the good work 👍👍👍
Thank you Rebecca and thanks to your son for confirming my tips. Maybe your son and I can play since he's the advanced players noobs need to look out for! My mom said you can send me his handle in a DM if he'd like to play.
Thanks Lucas. He’s 10 but pretty good for his age. Plays on a PC. I understand if that’s too young for you. Also we’re in Australia so the Timezone might be an issue, but happy to DM your Mom his handle if you’re up for it 😊
Australia wow. I'm only 11 and most of my friends are 10 and 11. I'm in New York City, USA. I don't know which time zone you're in but maybe if I'm up playing late on a weekend he will be playing in the middle of the day. my mom said it's okay to share his handle with her and if we get to play together it would be cool.
Thanks Lucas. I’ll share his handle but there might be an issue with ping because he normally plays in Oceania (OCE server) and he would have to connect with the North America server (or vice versa). I’ll swap handles with your Mom and we’ll see what happens 😊
What a great article! You wrote so well Lucas. Very impressive. I have been so curious about Fortnite since I KNOW Waylan will want to get into it in the future and now I can help him not be an obvious noob! Thank you for sharing these tips!
Bud this was such a good article. I actually kept nodding my head in agreement considering I’ve been playing since I was 16.. well u know.. u watched me😉 and it’s true the game really does take advantage of newbies. You should do a few more parts to this. Get in some secret tips to help noobs where to land, how to know where people are coming from, where to hide, when to hide and when to fight. I think you’d blow everyone’s minds with how much you know on this. 😘 great job lil bro. Oh and uh, hurry up and finish your work so we can 1v1 again I wanna see who gets the most kills this time hehehe😎💗
P.s. I love the photos you used for references. Spot on✅
Keep up the good work, Lucas! Cure the world of the noobs!!
lol thanks Andrea! I hated being a Noob so I hope people will read this so they don't have to hate it like I did.
I love that pay-it-forward attitude!! 🩷
You’re so inspiring, Lucas! I loved writing when I was a kid but I had a few teachers tell me I was horrible and I believed them so I stopped. You’re so brave to decide to write even though you haven’t enjoyed it. Even though, people have probably told you that your writing is wrong.
I hope you’ll keep sharing your thoughts, ideas, stories, and tips… they matter and they’re perfect exactly the way you write them.
I don’t play these kinds of games (I’m old and uncool like that) but I’m going to restack this for all of my subscribers who are starting!
Thanks Dre. I really don't like to write but writing gives me a sense of good feelings here. I do get discouraged too when my teachers tell me my writing is horrible because I'm not good on paper. I am good on computers and typing so it is easier here for me to write my thoughts. Especially when I'm writing about something I love like Fortnite. Thanks for being supportive and for sharing your story with me. It sounds a lot like mine.
Hey Lucas,
I just finished reading your article, “Don’t Be a Noob,” and honestly, I feel like you wrote it just for me.
I’ll admit, I’ve never played Fortnite before—mostly because I’m a total newbie when it comes to games like this. The idea of jumping into a match where everyone else already knows what they’re doing kind of freaks me out.
BUT, my kids and grandkids play...and I love sitting on the couch to watch the matches on our big flatscreen.
That said, your article actually made me feel a bit braver.
My kids keep asking me to play, soooo, maybe I should give it a try?
It’s clear you know what you’re talking about, and I love how you broke everything down without making it overwhelming.
You’ve inspired me, but I was hoping you could help me with a few questions.
Keep in mind, I’m starting from absolute zero here, so feel free to explain things like you would to someone who’s just installed the game five minutes ago.
Here’s what I’m wondering:
1. What’s the first thing I should do when I start a match?
Okay, picture me: I’m in the game, I’m flying over the map in the Battle Bus, and I have no idea what’s going on. Should I land somewhere with other players to practice fighting, or should I head for quieter spots to just figure out how not to embarrass myself? Any advice on where to go and what to do first would be super helpful!
2. What’s the deal with all the weapons? How do I know which ones are good?
I’ve heard there are lots of different weapons in Fortnite, but how do I even begin to know what’s worth picking up? Are there “beginner-friendly” weapons I should stick to? And do I need to worry about things like ammo, or does the game take care of that automatically?
3. Building…uh, what? How do you even start learning this part of the game?
I’ve seen videos of people building these crazy towers and walls at lightning speed, and it looks impossible to learn as a beginner. Is there a simpler way to practice this? Like, what’s the most basic thing I need to know about building so I don’t get destroyed in my first match?
4. What happens if I get caught outside the storm? Is it instant death?
I don’t fully understand how the storm works—do I just have to keep running to stay ahead of it? What happens if I get stuck outside it for a while? And are there specific items or strategies that help you survive when the storm gets close?
5. How do I even survive a fight?
Let’s say I bump into another player—how do I avoid getting eliminated in two seconds? Do I focus on aiming, hiding, or just running away? What’s the easiest way to start learning how to handle fights without feeling completely hopeless?
Lucas, you’ve already got such a great way of explaining things, and I know you’d make Fortnite feel way less intimidating for someone like me.
Thanks for inspiring me to step outside my comfort zone.
I’m looking forward to hearing your advice so I can finally stop being a “noob” and start having some fun.
Keep being awesome!
Signed,
🤪 NOT yer Mom
Thanks, Jaime. I am working on a new post just for your questions. Thank you for the ideas and support. I love your books! I'm almost done reading the Underlings with the book club and we love it. My favorite part was when Ru and Ro had to fight the rats and Ro became a rat to protect his sister. It was nice that his sister healed him after. It's a really good story. We cheated the last book club meeting and instead of reading aloud we listened to your audio on substack with popcorn. It is fun and I can't wait to finish the story.
HAHAHAHA....you had POPCORN?
For REAL!??
....I love it!
Well Lucas, that's exactly why I made the audio version. To entertain you f you didn't FEEL like reading sometimes.
Keep going, Lucas.
You're awesome.
...looking forward to hearing your answers about Fortnite. =)
Lucas, this was so good! I’m so proud of you for taking a chance and writing this—and doing such a great job! I would have never guessed you’d be interested in writing on Substack, but I’m so glad you felt inspired—I knew if you talked about something you love, you could create something very interesting. I love it!
By the way, I had no idea what a noob was, and even though I can’t play those games, after reading this, I’d feel more confident to try Fortnite without worrying so much about being a beginner. I can’t wait to see what you write about next!
❤️ Mom
Thanks, Mom. Love you for being so supportive! <3
Wow, finally I understand why as soon as I start trying to pay the game , everyone targets me always taking me out fast. I never by skins so now with this information I understand why I’m a walking target. lol. Thanks for the tip and as a noob trying to get practice this will really help me improve my game!!! Great instruction writing and looking forward to reading more of your content. You rock dude!!!!
Thanks, Rafael. You rock duddddddeeee!!! Good luck using these tips to play!
Thanks for the post. The first time I played I hadn’t got a clue what I was doing so articles like this are so valuable to help players get in to the game. Keep up the good work 👍👍👍
Thanks Jon. I hope now you can actually get a win in Fortnite!
Loved this piece, Lucas! My son is an avid Fortnite fan and he agreed with me that you’ve nailed the advice. 👍🏻
Thank you Rebecca and thanks to your son for confirming my tips. Maybe your son and I can play since he's the advanced players noobs need to look out for! My mom said you can send me his handle in a DM if he'd like to play.
Thanks Lucas. He’s 10 but pretty good for his age. Plays on a PC. I understand if that’s too young for you. Also we’re in Australia so the Timezone might be an issue, but happy to DM your Mom his handle if you’re up for it 😊
Australia wow. I'm only 11 and most of my friends are 10 and 11. I'm in New York City, USA. I don't know which time zone you're in but maybe if I'm up playing late on a weekend he will be playing in the middle of the day. my mom said it's okay to share his handle with her and if we get to play together it would be cool.
Thanks Lucas. I’ll share his handle but there might be an issue with ping because he normally plays in Oceania (OCE server) and he would have to connect with the North America server (or vice versa). I’ll swap handles with your Mom and we’ll see what happens 😊
What a great article! You wrote so well Lucas. Very impressive. I have been so curious about Fortnite since I KNOW Waylan will want to get into it in the future and now I can help him not be an obvious noob! Thank you for sharing these tips!
You're welcome, Becky and thank you. Maybe when he starts to play Fortnite I'll join him and protect him from the advanced players.
That is so kind of you to offer. I’m sure he would appreciate it (and so would I)!
Bud this was such a good article. I actually kept nodding my head in agreement considering I’ve been playing since I was 16.. well u know.. u watched me😉 and it’s true the game really does take advantage of newbies. You should do a few more parts to this. Get in some secret tips to help noobs where to land, how to know where people are coming from, where to hide, when to hide and when to fight. I think you’d blow everyone’s minds with how much you know on this. 😘 great job lil bro. Oh and uh, hurry up and finish your work so we can 1v1 again I wanna see who gets the most kills this time hehehe😎💗
P.s. I love the photos you used for references. Spot on✅
Thanks, Julie. and it's gonna be me getting the most kills and I will finish all my hw today so we can play.