Here it is a question of managing the water flow off your house foundation. Every inch of gutter has a roof line when you have a basement
It is, seriously, very important to get the water away from the house in this part of the country. The gutter downspouts are all located to ensure the water shed is most effective.
We often get a lot of rain.
Growing up in SoCal, we didn't have gutters, just some drains to get the water down the hill.