Getting overly tired of people complaining about "passive" players

LXII·Mar 29, 2015·45 votes·6,166 views

At least once a day someone will give me the classic "you're not doing it right, stop being so passive" and I still can't understand it. This is the only game I've ever played where nothing is learned from the competitive scene. How often do you see anyone (that isn't Bjergsen) solo killing in lane? Almost never. How often do you see bot lane constantly trying to kill and missing a ton of CS over it? Same answer. If the jungler shows up, yeah sure, I'll hop into that fight. But don't expect solo kills left and right, that's not how this game is meant to be played. And while I'm not killing my opposing laner, I'm also not obsessed with killing them like they are with me, so while they've missed over 50 CS now they also haven't gotten a single kill to compensate it. That's all the advantage you need to win.

tl;dr Pick smart fights, take smart trades, and you'll win the game.

48 Comments

Slamurai JackMar 29, 201525 votes

Obviously, being overly aggressive and picking stupid fights is bad, but being overly passive brings its own set of problems. For one, an aggressive and competent lane opponent is gonna walk all over them. Also, as someone who plays a lot of jungle, overly passive laners make my life impossible.

As a jungler, you would think that the aggressive laners that push too much would be the ones that I dislike. And while it's certainly not ideal, those players at least give me options. It's very easy to countergank for them by waiting in a lane bush. Their constant pushing often gives us tower diving opportunities. It's very easy for me to sneak dragons and invade the enemy jungle when I know the enemy jungler is watching my overextended lane.

However, the laners that I absolutely detest as a jungler are the ones that just let themselves get shoved in and poked down without any real retaliation. It's really hard to gank those lanes for 3 different reasons. The first is that they're almost always looking at a large minion wave while less health than their opponent, so trying to gank that lane at best, forces a flash, and is a double kill for the enemy laner at worst. The second is that, since they've been playing like a little bitch up to this point, any sudden sign of aggression now immediately gives away that I'm trying to gank. The third reason, is that getting shoved in inevitably wrecks your vision control, while the enemy laner can place wards at his leisure. Not to mention that I cannot even attempt to try to get vision in the enemy jungle, because I'll get collapsed on the moment I do while my laner is CSing under tower.

LXIIMar 29, 20152 votes

{quoted}

Obviously, being overly aggressive and picking stupid fights is bad, but being overly passive brings its own set of problems. For one, an aggressive and competent lane opponent is gonna walk all over them. Also, as someone who plays a lot of jungle, overly passive laners make my life impossible.

As a jungler, you would think that the aggressive laners that push too much would be the ones that I dislike. And while it's certainly not ideal, those players at least give me options. It's very easy to countergank for them by waiting in a lane bush. Their constant pushing often gives us tower diving opportunities. It's very easy for me to sneak dragons and invade the enemy jungle when I know the enemy jungler is watching my overextended lane.

However, the laners that I absolutely detest as a jungler are the ones that just let themselves get shoved in and poked down without any real retaliation. It's really hard to gank those lanes for 3 different reasons. The first is that they're almost always looking at a large minion wave while less health than their opponent, so trying to gank that lane at best, forces a flash, and is a double kill for the enemy laner at worst. The second is that, since they've been playing like a little bitch up to this point, any sudden sign of aggression now immediately gives away that I'm trying to gank. The third reason, is that getting shoved in inevitably wrecks your vision control, while the enemy laner can place wards at his leisure. Not to mention that I cannot even attempt to try to get vision in the enemy jungle, because I'll get collapsed on the moment I do while my laner is CSing under tower.

See that's a different thing entirely. That might literally be "too passive". I play the lane the way it should be played, I cs, I poke, I take good trades, and I don't let the other team dictate how the lane will be played. But what I don't do is push aimlessly, take every chance at diving them, etc. Don't get me wrong, if they make a mistake I will be the first to punish it, but I won't create a conflict that goes beyond a trade unless there is something larger at work (gank incoming for me, Karth ult, etc). Too often people forget that this isn't cod and we don't have to kill the enemies to take their turrets, then I get to hear about it because "we don't have any kills". NEITHER DO THEY! And we're cs'ing better. That's a lead people. /rant lol

OyddAWqJ5rMar 30, 20157 votes

That's not passive then. That's exactly what aggressive is. Beyond that is considered suicide not aggression.

Aggressive is constant poke, forcing any trades you can win and basically just using abilities aggressively (for pokes n trades). If you have a guaranteed all in you do it, regardless of if it's a dive.

Passive is sitting as far back as possible and only using abilities in your defense or to farm. You never go in for kills even ones that appear guaranteed because you were raised to be an uke.

CS is irrelevant to both. You should be last hitting only either way. Shoving is not an aggressive move, shoving is a strategy used to stall an opponent at a tower or attract jungler attention. Generally shoving is impossible unless you are aggressive in the first place.

When someone says play more passive they are saying stop being stupid by making bad trades or overpushing your lane for no reason.

When someone says play more aggressive they are saying to stop being a puss and actually play your lane.

If you notice in LCS, bot lane is ALWAYS trying to kill. They just don't lose CS over it. Multi-tasking OP. Support goes in? ADC is following and not standing max range from the minion wave saying "err mah gawd stop going in and let me cs" like most solo Q adc's do. The only time they aren't going for the kill is when they are losing. Even then they still try to get shots off but do so in a manner that doesn't let the enemy all in and dunk em.

IS1a442cd69a169ed293a39Mar 30, 20151 votes

[{quoted}](name=Sleeper Cell,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=F9GAFT4d,comment-id=000300000000,timestamp=2015-03-30T02:43:09.423+0000)

That's not passive then. That's exactly what aggressive is. Beyond that is considered suicide not aggression.

Aggressive is constant poke, forcing any trades you can win and basically just using abilities aggressively (for pokes n trades). If you have a guaranteed all in you do it, regardless of if it's a dive.

Passive is sitting as far back as possible and only using abilities in your defense or to farm. You never go in for kills even ones that appear guaranteed because you were raised to be an uke.

CS is irrelevant to both. You should be last hitting only either way. Shoving is not an aggressive move, shoving is a strategy used to stall an opponent at a tower or attract jungler attention. Generally shoving is impossible unless you are aggressive in the first place.

When someone says play more passive they are saying stop being stupid by making bad trades or overpushing your lane for no reason.

When someone says play more aggressive they are saying to stop being a puss and actually play your lane.

If you notice in LCS, bot lane is ALWAYS trying to kill. They just don't lose CS over it. Multi-tasking OP. Support goes in? ADC is following and not standing max range from the minion wave saying "err mah gawd stop going in and let me cs" like most solo Q adc's do. The only time they aren't going for the kill is when they are losing. Even then they still try to get shots off but do so in a manner that doesn't let the enemy all in and dunk em.

I believe that's his point. People call him passive, which is actually smart aggression.

AozoraMar 30, 20151 votes

Seems a bit like the C9 playstyle which may explain your icon. C9 plays in a way that they don't usually have high kill score games because they get a gold lead laning phase/early and then dominate team fights. That doesn't really work in solo q for obvious reasons. Playing passive in bad lane matchups is usually good, but when you can you want to try and get kills onto the other laner to not only get a gold lead, but to tilt them as well.

League of Legends isn't at all a game about killing the other team, you're definitely right there. But I feel LoL is also a game of chance and overly passive playstyles make you miss those important chances and while you may not have lost anything obvious (giving a kill over, blowing sums, etc.) you do lose potential leads.

TomA3XMar 29, 201511 votes

Getting real tired of people complaining about people complaining about passive players.

Sorry i had to, but you are right.

PerishSoftlyMar 29, 201514 votes

Getting real tired of people getting real tired of people complaining about people complaining about passive players.

MarhsallLee67Mar 30, 20152 votes

Getting real tired of people getting real tired of peo-

Ah, fuck it.

Nucleophilic atkMar 30, 20152 votes

You sir, get an F for effort.

EvilRabbittMar 31, 20151 votes

Best subthread in reality TV.

Edit also: [Getting real tired of people] [getting real tired of people] [getting real tired of people] [complaining about people] [complaining about passive players].

AspynnMar 29, 20158 votes

One thing I'd like to say. If you are in botlane and your support is going above and beyond to engage at SMART TIMES and doing his job extremely well and you just sit there farming, you're doing something wrong. Not to say that this is something that OP does, but I've seen it way too many times, and I tire of it. Make sure to be clear with your team, (especially your support if you're ADC) that you intend on playing a passive game. I definitely can see the advantage that straight farming would give you over the opposing team, but don't be afraid to join your support in a fight once in a while. :) As long as you make sure to communicate with your team that you are playing passive and they help you out, there is no such thing as being "too passive" or playing passively being a bad thing.

ÅronMar 29, 20154 votes

{quoted}

One thing I'd like to say. If you are in botlane and your support is going above and beyond to engage at SMART TIMES and doing his job extremely well and you just sit there farming, you're doing something wrong. Not to say that this is something that OP does, but I've seen it way too many times, and I tire of it. Make sure to be clear with your team, (especially your support if you're ADC) that you intend on playing a passive game. I definitely can see the advantage that straight farming would give you over the opposing team, but don't be afraid to join your support in a fight once in a while. :) As long as you make sure to communicate with your team that you are playing passive and they help you out, there is no such thing as being "too passive" or playing passively being a bad thing.

As a support and jungle main, +1

EvilRabbittMar 31, 20151 votes

+2. Its the only reason I don't enjoy support.

Kosmic RiderMar 29, 20155 votes

Had a leblanc game against a heimer, i failed to stop him setting up his illuminati trap of turrets due to helping jungle leash since top laner refused to do so. I farmed as best I could but he, despite being constantly over extended and not getting ganked ever by Rengar, I focused cs as opposed to harass and taking damage from his rockets/turrets because I am super squishy champion. I tried to harass him but he threw down a turret to block my chain, smart heimer. So from there I just farmed as he took 1st turret.

Anywho, they started blaming me for losing lane, despite not feeding at all. They blame me for being passive and choosing my fights against their team comp of doom against our squishy team comp. We lost, i was 6/1. Absolutely refused to to feed more kills but helped the best I could, kiting, juking, and peeling for our adc with chains. I still get blamed. I am a very conservative player, most of the time I won't go in unless I know I have a higher probability of living. Sometimes it works in my favor, sometime greed takes over, but most of the time I try and play safe.

So yeah, I get blamed a lot for being passive, methodical, and conservative in my playstyle.

HawkefireMar 30, 20151 votes

Too be fair, a well set up Heimerdinger is nearly impossible to gank. If he plays his cards right, he can 2v1, and sometimes even 3v1.

That, and barring a select few champions that can go aggressive against Heim, generally the only playstyle versus Heim is passive unless he mispositions himself.

Spacesuit SpiffMar 29, 20154 votes

Yeah, you have to be pretty passive to do well. That said, in lower elo people open themselves up to being absolutely stomped on, so being opportunistic is why smurfs end up 30/0.

Also, at least play a passive champ. Nasus, not Hecarim.

KingsgraveMar 30, 20151 votes

{quoted}

Yeah, you have to be pretty passive to do well. That said, in lower elo people open themselves up to being absolutely stomped on, so being opportunistic is why smurfs end up 30/0.

Also, at least play a passive champ. Nasus, not Hecarim.

Nasus players that don't know how to be aggressive are awful teammates tho. The aggressive ones are fucking dope tho.

LlaniteMar 29, 20153 votes

You have every right to play your lane the way you see fit. I dont think anyone gives a damn.

HOWEVER, when we ask you to help contest dragon/red/blue or your lanemate ganks another, we expect you to show.

SpliceAsNiceMar 29, 20153 votes

SoloQ and the competitive scene are two completely different things. In soloQ you don't have the coordination of your team to ensure that you can get away with that. Every laner I see play passive never counter harasses and just face tank everything while dangling the "we have late game" incentive over our heads. Sure, it can work.. but you shouldn't go into every game passive especially in a favorable matchup. You have to position aggressively, deny CS while getting your own and deprive your enemy laner of everything you can. That is just how you win games.

PartholonianMar 30, 20152 votes

Positioning aggressively is how you lose games. It's the first step to eating a hook for first blood.

You have to position safely and still be able to harass and make it difficult to cs.

But "you're too passive" is almost always coming from someone who rushed into a 1v2, overextended and sometimes under tower, and is sure that if you had just gone in with them, you would have gotten a double kill (when in reality, you probably would have given one away).

People who actually play too passive in bot are very rare, compared to people who are stupidly aggressive (as in, they don't just pick too many fights, they pick the wrong fights).

D1rtFarmerMar 30, 20154 votes

thats you tellin others how to play.. when in fact youre suggesting you know all better than they. So when u lose for playing cowardly or waiting for mistakes.. who's fault is it then... Nobody says to go aggressive but.. when i have blitz.. Try, i dare you to play passive.

EvilRabbittMar 31, 20151 votes

My laner can play passively. You better believe I'ma smash your gears Blitz. Annie item 3751

D1rtFarmerApr 1, 20151 votes

you dont scare me with your toys little girl. Blitzcrank

Titanium70Mar 30, 20153 votes

Well in LCS its all about saveness:

Save Picks
Save/Easy Champs
Save strategy/tactics

Becaues Invades are "High Risk" there are very few! Because early Fights are "High Risk" noone wants to fight! Because 2v2 Bot has to many variables they do 2v1 instead... and and and

However in SoloQ: Here playing save is good, not dying is good, BUT if you´re not Karthus(or any heavy LateGame-Champ) who get´s fed by farming - you will have to take some risks to get a) an advantage and b) not get rekt by an 20-0 Botlane after 20 minutes! xD

If you get your main position and if you´re able to Roflstomp your opponent, DO IT! Becaue your team will need you. OFC this changes If you play a position or Champ you´re not familiar with, or you realize your opponent is plain better than you are. ^^

PhDs NutsMar 29, 20152 votes

Literally just happened in my last game. I was Sivir with Thresh, and he dove in hard against Blitz and Kog while we were half health and they were near full. He proceeded to bitch me out when I retreated at 200hp after he died. He came back to lane and intentionally tried to interrupt my CSing as much as he could (more than before, when he was failing to proc his relic on time anyway), and eventually left me to 1v2 as he roamed around the rest of the map.

Just stayed passive and wavecleared until Blitz got bored and had to go even out the rest of the map. Forced Kog out of lane and just split pushed until Darius got fed and grouped to win.

And this is how Udyr started us out since "his Yi" was banned: http://i.imgur.com/mG9g2ze.png

WutsKrakenMar 29, 20152 votes

Yep...in SoloQ, games that turn into 60 kill ARAMS after the 25 minute mark result in one team constantly trying to fight it out without realizing the enemy team is getting more and more ahead by farming and getting objectives during the peace

Arcade AndrewMar 30, 20152 votes

This sums of the stupid that we call bronze.

LXIIMar 30, 20152 votes

{quoted}

This sums of the stupid that we call bronze.

You know we can see that you're Bronze 1 right?

Arcade AndrewMar 30, 20153 votes

My point is still valid? Who else to know how to explain the stupid of bronze than a bronze himself?

EvilRabbittMar 31, 20151 votes

I must agree. Bronze players are bad. I am bronze 4. I am a bad player.

BlitzidiousMar 31, 20151 votes

Everyone is a bad player. It's k.

femméMar 30, 20152 votes

i mean, i've had games where i go up against a darius as jax and darius just plays passive and has a farm war with me (that I was in the lead with) so there are reason where you should be aggro as fuck. If you take ignite as riven and do nothing but sit behind minions against a nasus then it should be obvious why you lost lane even though nothing happened other than farming.

G1RadiobotMar 29, 20151 votes

So long as you're poking them. Many people play too aggressive, but its also bad to just let them free farm as well.

TerffMar 29, 20151 votes

Passive is how I love it!

Velkoz sitting behind tower throwing out tons of damage and you cant do shit is how I roll.

Kitten of EvilMar 29, 20151 votes

There's a reason that (normally) total kill counts are lower in games between better teams.

D1rtFarmerMar 30, 20151 votes

theres a difference between playing passive against certain team comps and when you have made up your mind on whether you're playing passive before the game starts. You arent the only one on the team and, it makes jungling twice as hard when you need ganks. Passive players, atleast the ones who play passive 100% of the time are selfish players it seems. The kind that let players die because in their opinion you are playing too aggressive . You Should Never Be Able to say you are playing passive 100% of the time.

JasiwelMar 30, 20151 votes

There's also the fact that some champions are better at aggression early (Riven, Zed, Orianna, etc) than others. Like, if I'm playing Karthus or Viktor, my thoughts are "Stay alive to farm until midgame powerspike." If you're expecting either to get kills early without Jungler help, your expectations might be a bit too high. Even then, players are entitled to their own playstyle - as long as your tower is safe and you have decent income, who cares?

There's a difference between farming and playing defensively. Unless I'm Nasus/Karthus/Veigar, I'm not going to sit on my hands for 10 minutes trying to farm: I'm going to be looking for openings to deal damage, while farming for a stronger midgame. I think a lot of people are really impatient in this game because of how long the typical one lasts. I might just be different, but my favorite games are usually the ones where First Blood isn't given within the first five minutes.

BatteryDeadMar 30, 20151 votes

I love being the passive ADC, I just farm and poke and farm until I get a good opportunity or my support does a good setup. hang in the backline and 420 blaze it poking away while the big tanks bruise it out.

TussMar 30, 20151 votes

Because playing safe is boring as heck. I hate it when I get a lane opponent who stands a mile behind their minion line and brings 5 potions to lane after every back since that basically makes it so I can't do anything to them and I might as well be by myself, just with an invincible minion that makes sure I can't push the lane that fast.

Pro players play safe because since both teams are so skilled, any screw up can lead to a major advantage. So they don't take risks unless they know they'll win the trade or get the kill, but then it's not really a risk.

Taking chances makes a game fun and exciting. Just because a strategy might make it more likely you'll win doesn't make it the "way the game is meant to be played", since it's hardly fun at all, and isn't that what a game is for?

TenSlashTenMar 30, 20151 votes

low elos don't understand passive play thats why they go 0/5 in lane and then rage quit. or you see people with 10+kills in low elo and the games have like 70-100 kills when it ends

Just played a game as vayne against a graves leo. I was even on cs and even traded 2/2 for kills against graves. Then teamfights rolled around and the fed tf/j4/amumu made me go back to afk pushing until the game ended but thats another story for a time when low elos don't know how to win lane against a j4 with AP runes and a tf with AD runes...

Rinky DinkyMar 30, 20151 votes

Dyrus

/Thread

j jMar 30, 20151 votes

You can play aggressive if you have wards or pay attention to where their jungler is and make assumptions where their jungler is. No excuse to play passive otherwise. Why let your opponents control you in lane? If they control you in lane they also control a larger portion of the map yeah? There's time to pick smart fights but also not bend over to the person you're laning against. I love it when people play passive mid. I destroy them. I out perform them in every aspect when they play passive.

DrukyulMar 30, 20151 votes

When I pick Leona support and you're sitting there playing passive and letting me get poked down with no retaliation on your part, don't expect me to stick around. I'm gonna go gank mid.

EvilRabbittMar 31, 20151 votes

omgily. You and I think alike. If my bot refuses to engage at really good times (the enemy adc csing in the middle of your wave for instance) then I just ditch. I also ditch if they hit 0/3/0. My time, my rules kinda thing- especially when mid and I take tower instantly.

Billybaroo2314Mar 31, 20151 votes

I think op is saying though don't overextend constantly then cry when you get ganked from behind. I sup main also, and yes drives me nuts when adc won't engage on good catches and bad enemy team position. Operator forgot that enemy teams in pro's don't get into bad position in first place. His point is don't feed the lane because chasing kills, be smart is all I think he is trying to say. CS can win a lane also.

DJ Di0Mar 30, 20151 votes

Pretty sure Riot doesn't like passive play; there's usually a negative view on being 'passive' in the LCS. Probably why they reworked Sona the way they did.

item 3070 Sona

BakedLotionMar 31, 20151 votes

Except when you're anivia. You win by being passive. ult the wave. if they come near you, q and e and half their hp is gone. Decide not to go near you? okay. continue farming l0l

SirsirMar 31, 20151 votes

It really bugs me when someone plays a champion that needs to be aggressive early. I once played with a leblanc who said 'Leblanc is no good until level 6' at which point I wanted to scream my lungs out. I also played Janna support with a graves who was a kogmaw main in a past life, he never even tried to trade.