Switch is good for scrubs like me because there are even bigger scrubs who haven't really played the game. Anyway here are some tips:
- Voice chat is coming on the 14th. You don't need the stupid phone app. As long as you can plug it in the headphone jack it should work
- You get a random character every time unless you buy a specific skin.
- Most people are choosing to populate their Epic friends list with people from their Switch list. But I think it doesn't happen until the other person chooses the same option.
- Learn to build. Go to the options and choose the "Builder Pro" setup and practice with it. The only way you can consistently get good finishes is by learning to build fast. Don't be afraid to go to highly populated areas (Tilted Towers, Dusty Divot, Pleasant Park, Retail Row) because that's the best way to practice shooting and building. You'll die but you'll get better at the game.
- Shields! Drink the mini potions first and then the big one. Mini potions only refill the first 50 HP of your shields.
- Shotguns got nerfed but I still think the tactical shotgun is very good for close combat. I love assault riffles for medium-long range combat. I've never gotten used to the way sniper rifles work in the game so I never use them.
- If you don't want to build you need to be very stealthy. Avoid building/drawing attention to yourself and pray that the circle guides you to areas with lots of cover. That's how I got my first solo win and it can be a good tactic early on when so many people are still learning the game.