You were killed by a grenade.
Watch out for the grenade danger indicator.

lulz

I spawn.
He sees me.
I'm down.

And now, as a haiku:
I'm off the spawnpoint.
Enemy takes sight at me.
Boom! I am shot, dead.

I got good ping.

I haz airstrike. You iz dead.

How can you counter akimbo 747s?

Seriously...
Can anyone explain the appeal of these games? Is it fun to die repeatedly, or do players hope to rise to powerful e-thugs, with nothing but this hope buoying them against the frustration of failure?

Go ask the thousands of players online.

All I get in response is, "LULZ L2PLAY NUB!"
Am I doing something wrong?

No, that is so right. So very right.

Ummm, I think you mean the 1887's, but whatever.
The answer is you don't. Given the small map sizes, the only way you are going to win is if he trips over your claymore of you happen to have just enough distance on him to take him down.
1887's WILL fire and kill you faster than Commando's knife lunge, and they also have a nasty range on them, making them the obvious no-skill weapon in the game. Akimbo 1887's + Marathon + Lightweight + Commando = You die ALOT.

They see me trolling
They laughin
They playa hatin'
They wanna eat my hat

I SEE U FARMIN PRIMALS
IN SHADOWMOON VALLEY