OP, I really don't think you understand the diference between aggression and passivity:

With the incredibly loose, maniacally aggressive field that composes the majority of micro/low stakes cash games

Micro/low stakes games (up to $50NL for sure, maybe $100) are absolutely not manically aggressive! 25NL may be looser than average - 10NL certainly is - but passivity is the norm. Aggression = more raises and bets than checks and calls - this is definitively not the case below $50NL.

Players were slightly less maniacal than before, but generally still loose-passive

This is the sentence that confirmed you hadn't just made a typo. Maniacs are aggressive, not passive! Seriously, this is a key concept. You may understand the actuality but don't confuser yourself or others by misusing the terminology.