People of Giantbomb.  I suck at Halo: Reach multiplayer.  When I first started I did quite well.  I'm assuming that was because I was playing other new/bad players.  Now, I apparently play good players, and I cannot compete.  I know this is an extremely broad question, but does anyone have any tips?  It's just gotten extremely frustrating to the point of me not really wanting to play anymore even though I'm like 80% of the way to Captain. 

If you go on Halo Waypoint they do daily videos with tips on playing the game which are actually pretty good.

Practice makes perfect. 
  
Don't underestimate the Magnum.

You may not necessarily be bad, but the competition is possibly a little too experienced. Some matches you can really spot the veterans. I'm very inexperienced and I can get a very respectable k/d ratio, while others I will go the match with 1 or 2 kills.

Remember to time your shots, bloom is very important to control, trust me. Also pick you battles wisely, don't be afraid to GTFO is you feel like the situation might not go your way. Don't give chase unless your enemy has no shields and is pretty much a 1 shot, they can just as easily kill you if you meet a grenade at your feet and a bullet to the head.

" If you go on Halo Waypoint they do daily videos with tips on playing the game which are actually pretty good. "

" Practice makes perfect.   Don't underestimate the Magnum. "

" Remember to time your shots, bloom is very important to control, trust me."

Try different game modes.  I find Big Team Battle has the largest percentage of people that are new to the game...or at least aren't as good as those playing other game modes

Personally, I would recommend always picking armor lock. It's saved my butt so many times. Whether it's another player trying to mow you down with a vehicle, or saving you from grenades, or just buying time for your teammates to bail you out of trouble, it's invaluable.

See, I'd have no problem with practicing if I thought I was getting any better.  As it stands I feel like I'm getting worse. "

If any of these tips come across as condescending, I apologize. But this is what I tell my friends who have trouble:
 

• Your "radar" is actually a motion tracker. If you see someone coming towards you on your motion tracker, but they are around a corner, crouch and move into a position where you'll be able to get the drop on your opponent. When you crouch and move, you are invisible to enemy motion trackers (ie: you don't show up as a red dot).

• It takes two melee shots to kill someone who has shields. If you are close enough, go for the two melee shots. If you are skilled enough, an even quicker (and generally more reliable) way to dispose of enemies is to connect with one melee shot and then immediately headshot with a DMR, Needle Rifle, or magnum.

• Go for headshots with the three aforementioned weapons. I notice that usually around 2/3 of my kills come from headshots, whereas many of my opponents only get between 5-10 a match. In order to be successful in this regard, you've gotta learn the rhythms associated with firing each of the rifles and the magnum. Sniping with the magnum from mid-long range is possible, and in some cases you should go for it, but remember that it's a much slower process than with the DMR or needle rifle. I've noticed that the needle rifle seems to hold its accuracy better (or maybe I'm crazy). It also has the possibility of supercombining, which is superconvenient against unshielded oponents who you just can't seem to headshot (3 shots and they explode).

• Use the jetpack on maps that call for it (maps with a good deal of vertical play area) such as Countdown, and in some cases Sword Base. The jetpack allows you to get the drop on so many unsuspecting players on these maps. Defend against the jetpack by listening for it. It's pretty loud.

• When not jetpacking, I generally go with sprint because it enables me to:

• Avoid fights. Yes, Halo is all about kicking ass and getting those huge killstreaks. But it's nigh impossible to achieve anything of worth by approaching every encounter full on. After dispatching one opponent, if you notice another coming after you, run around a corner. This enables you to:

• Reload your weapons, and

• Lead off with a grenade. A well placed grenade and headshot, as usual, makes for easy encounters.

• Be mindful of your shields in relation to your opponent's. If he pops your shields, keep your distance (or even run away). If he lands a melee attack, you're dead. If you pop his shields, aim for that headshot while closing the distance between you two. If you don't land the headshot, you can take him out with a melee attack.

• When engaged in a heated rifle duel, jump. Headshots are king in rifle duels, and jumping forces your enemy to shift his aim and potentially miss a headshot. More often than not, they'll hit your legs or chest, and you'll still be alive while hopefully popping them in the face another couple of times mid-jump. It's kind of like the battle room in Ender's Game...

• Finally, be an opportunist. It's cheap, but it's effective. If you see a big brawl going on, hang out at a distance. Lob some grenades, pick people off with headshots. Many a triple kill was achieved in this manner.

" @EvilTwin said:

See, I'd have no problem with practicing if I thought I was getting any better.  As it stands I feel like I'm getting worse. "

You're not going to get better if you have that mindset."

I understand.  I'm not trying to have a bad attitude, but I'm also not going to get any better if I don't have a good foundation for learning.  If you teach someone the alphabet incorrectly, then reading is going to be a bit of a problem for them.  
 

See, I'd have no problem with practicing if I thought I was getting any better.  As it stands I feel like I'm getting worse.  I do use the magnum, but part of my problem is probably knowing when to use what weapons.  "

Big team battle. I've improved my k/d ratio thanks to vehicles.

" @EvilTwin: If you want some really specific advice, upload a full gameplay to your File Share and then post the link here for people to download and critique. "

" @EvilTwin: Well, I suppose that depends on what type of game you want to improve your skills in. What playlist/gametype most inspired you to create this thread asking for tips? "

" @EvilTwin said:

See, I'd have no problem with practicing if I thought I was getting any better.  As it stands I feel like I'm getting worse.  I do use the magnum, but part of my problem is probably knowing when to use what weapons.  "

Always use the DMR or Needle Rifle, and pace you shots...that is pretty much all you need to know, it's still kind of a talent I guess, and there's always gonna be someone with a more accurate shot. 
 
Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.     "

I'm by no means great (1.42 or so KDR), but I've found that the most helpful thing I've done was really learn the firing cadences for the DMR, Needle Rifle, and Magnum. I'm getting about 70% of my kills off of head-shots now, and I'm winning the majority of 1v1 rifle battles where my opponent gets off more shots simply because I've learned the weapons' cadences.

" I'm by no means great (1.42 or so KDR), but I've found that the most helpful thing I've done was really learn the firing cadences for the DMR, Needle Rifle, and Magnum. I'm getting about 70% of my kills off of head-shots now, and I'm winning the majority of 1v1 rifle battles where my opponent gets off more shots simply because I've learned the weapons' cadences. "

i think its a boring game.  
 
 
and from my experience, nobody is using mics ever.