I know this argument has been rehashed over and over again on these forums, but I'm bored so let's rehash it again!
The question: are MIA calls absolutely necessary, totally useless, or something in between?
Pro MIA call arguments:
- You are responsible for keeping track of your opponent, your lanemates have enough on their own plate.
- It's easy to call, just ****ing do it.
- It is extremely helpful, it helps bring up the whole team's map awareness.
- The impact may be doubtful, but you should still try to do it when you are able. At the very least, it doesn't hurt anything.
Con MIA call arguments:
- You are responsible for yourself and your own map awareness. I can't babysit you goddammit, I have my own **** going on.
- All players should be in the habit of keeping one eye on the minimap. If you're not watching minimap, why would I expect you to watch chat?
- Sometimes it can be difficult to tell whether an opponent has based, stalked off into the jungle, or is lurking in nearby bushes. By the time I can call an accurate MIA, it may already be too late.
- Sometimes (especially in bot lane), it can be difficult to stop and type. I might miss out on creeps or kill opportunities. Can't you just ****ing watch your own map?
- I actually have a duty NOT to call MIAs, in order to encourage my fellow players to develop their own sense of map awareness. It's for your own good, noobs.
I think my position is somewhere in-between. You shouldn't rely on MIAs, and should have your own map awareness. At the same time, nobody is perfect and if I think it will help I will call it. More often than not, a quick ping is sufficient. Is there any angle I'm missing on this?