I am so confused on the mechanics and gameplay of the top lane. Every top laner I've ever had stays top the lane the entire game. They never leave. They never teleport except to get back to lane, and that's if they have teleport. They never participate in contesting dragon or contesting baron. They LITERALLY NEVER LEAVE THE TOP LANE.
Woodakoodashooda6 votesLeaving top lane has a history of losing it to the enemy top lane. The top lane is like a goalie whose purpose is to stand guard over one corner of your territory. If they aren't there then the enemy top can push forward and claim more of that lane as their team's territory. Additionally, there's a greater gold and exp benefit to farming top lane than there is to leaving it for a few kills.
Ever wonder why your top hits level 18 before anyone else in the game with a full build despite having the lowest kill count on your team apart from your support? It's because they were allowed to free farm and maintain their lane. Minions feed harder than any given player in game and top lane capitalizes on that fact.
Legacy of Xion3 votesBeside what Dunkin said.
No one fuckin' wards enough so there is no place to TP for a kill setup. If we fail securing a kill when roaming Top gets out farmed and the damage to the turret isn't worth it. If Jungle doesn't help while their Jungler is God knows where, we end up ganked and lose towers. So most top lanes stick top, not waste TP anywhere else because zero kill potential is available and finally - we don't want to lose two Towers before 15.
It's tactics. It's gameplay. And it's why I don't main top because I like a little backup once in awhile xD
Rabid Husky1 votesthis^
18 NAKED COWB0YS2 votesthats because some of us are pissed off of getting ignored for the entire laning phase as we get dove over and over by the jungle as our jungler is afk farming and feel like we have no team so why bother helping u idiots if u watch us get fucked most of the game for free.
DunkinNoobs2 votesAs soon as we leave top lane, we lose both of our towers and then the game sucks. I main 
. You leave lane just 1 time and I'm going to take both of your towers before you get back. I've had so many games where I've manged to get both top towers before 15 minutes because my lane opponent tried to help his team.
ZenithEevee1 votesIts mostly because toplane is sorta like an metaphysical island.
Once you're in, You wanna try to stay there as long as you can before it falls apart, And the person who stays there the longest usually wins lane.
This is the best case with Stackers like Sion and Nasus.
And with others, Like Yorick, Teemo, and such, You want to keep going because once you win lane, you can just keep snowballing that lead, Ward the enemy jungle, And keep pushing.
ABlueQuaker1 votesThe way I see it, you have 2 types of Top Laners - Teamfighters and Splitpushers.
The team actually needs to invest time top to 'unlock' a teamfight top laner so they can leave lane and teamfight. Kennen and Rumble only have so much kill potential 1v1, but they're great at setting up kills for a jungler or roaming mid lane.
A split pusher, on the other hand, needs to be played around or everyone is gonna end up pretty frustrated.
AcidTheWarlock1 votesHey, I roam mid if I can get a kill! It works!
Then again, I'm against some AD fighter and they just take my tower, but hopefully bot got turret 1st blood...or I did....or fml if we don't take mid after we kill the midlaner....
Also toplaners can control scuttle crab if they shoved out lane and they need more vision, just ask your jungler first.
Ralanr1 votesBecause it's my tower and I have sworn to protect it. Once it or the enemy tower is gone, I help the team.
Slythion1 votesbecause it's actually far more helpful to the team to defend the top side of the map and far more hurtful to the team to sacrifice top side of the map for a teamfight
no body understands the importance that top laners bring with map pressure and control
Wolfram Oxford1 votesIf you see a top laner never leaving top its because they are a greedy player. They want levels, they want CS, they want towers, and it only works against inexperienced players. PSA to anyone aspiring to be a good top laner, if you have nothing to do besides farm, roam. I literally have won so many games as top leaving the lane to help my team. Meanwhile the enemy team has a Renekton sitting up there trying to take my first turret while I am killing his team, taking mid/bot, and getting dragon, don't fall for the bait of "they are going to get my tower" , either they are greedy OR they are trying to get you to go top so their team can fight yours because 5v5s don't favor them, be with your team and punish the enemies for having a split pushing top laner.
Xevest1 votesBot fed so ur toplaner pretends to havn't seen anything so he won't die helping his team. :D (don't take it too seriously)
1 800 Top Lane1 votesIt honestly depends on what Elo you play at.
