Now, the reality is this is a multi-player game. As such, it has players from everywhere, with various skill sets. This leads to everyone also wanting to "be the best". However, realize as well that, as with any game, there must be a winner, and a loser. Losing is NOT A BAD THING. It never really is. It's the nature of any sport/game. For every game, we have two (technically three if you consider a draw, but here it's probably considered as a dual loss) possible outcomes. There will be winning teams, and there will be losing teams. Realize you are going to be on each team at some point.
Understanding that, at some point people have to lose for others to win, can open up other concepts. Realizing this fact, and understanding it, is the first step to being a "good loser". This also opens the concept that, everyone will at some point have a bad game. Either through luck, teamwork, or position, everyone will occasionally have a game that leaves them wondering what just happened.
With all that out of the way, I'd like to now properly talk about those subpar, less than 100 damage matches. These matches for players, yourself included even, come down to many factors. Some can be avoided, others no so much. These factors were already mentioned before, but they boil down to:
- Position. If you are out of position with your teammates, you can often find yourself rounding a corner, see the enemy team, and die very quickly. You may even be doing something vital to your team, being in the right spot. However, if your team doesn't back you up you can still find the "right spot" to be a quick death. (Example: Last match I was in my Battlemaster. I was in the right spot to help my team, but not necessarily in the right spot to deal "maximum damage" and kill stuff. I saw a bunch of enemies flanking our position, which would make many of my teammates into targets. I moved to intercept them and "give them a better target". I was doing the right thing for my team. However, my team did not support my actions quickly enough, and by the time I was near death a lone other mech came to help me. Sadly, too late. (Actually, he accidentally shot me trying to hit the enemy behind me as I was trying to rally back.) Even though I died, I prevented a sweep of enemies from getting behind my team, permitting my teammates time to (against my safety) relocate someplace else safe. (Which didn't involve saving me. It happens.)
- Luck. This is the hardest factor to consider, as you don't want to just blame "bad luck" all the time. But, it is a factor. Sometimes, you just round that corner, first thing in the game, and find the enemy. Sadly for you and your mech, they found you as well... with their guns pointed at you. This often leads to a very quick death, with often low damage.
- Teamwork. This one is harder in PUGland, which is often a teammates problem. Most players (no offense to anyone) will look out for themselves first and the rest of the team later. This leads to clumsy charges, failure to support allies behind them (such as LRM boats being attacked just behind their position), etc. I like to refer to a skill of "intuitive teamwork". Some teams get this, other teams don't. I often praise myself in having a decent degree of skill in this (which doesn't mean I'm perfect either). Try to always work with your team, and try to always fight the urge to "look out for #1". At the same time, you will have Rambo pilots whom can't be saved or helped. It's a tough call, but sometimes you really do have to let a teammate die (sacrifice them) for the better good of the team. However, if someone is brave enough to come out to support you when you are in trouble, I'd like to hint that maybe you should try to stick around and continue to help your teammate. After all, he did risk his neck to save your hide...
- Situational awareness. This is a skill we all can work on. Observing your surroundings and your minimap. While spectating others, I often times see two mechs so close to each other, but neither one is helping the other. Why, last match I saw one mech engaged with an enemy on the minimap, and a ally mech was literally not even a triangle icon away but was still facing the opposite direction. Had that pilot been observing things around him, he may have been able to turn around and assist the other teammate stuck in a 1v1 match. You fight as a team, and you win or lose as a team. Overwhelming numbers is always a good thing. (Something on the lines of "There is no honor in war?" I don't know.)
- Admittance. Just admit that it's going to happen. To you. To others. It's just going to happen. No reason to stress over it. No reason to get upset. Try your best to overcome it yourself. The only person you can control and be accounted for is yourself. And even then, you can't account for everything.
There are many more things, but basically I want to hit home that it's going to happen. Take it for what it is and just move on. Don't make fun of someone else for a low match game, as it will happen to you (if it hasn't already).