It really depends on what type of plugins you're talking about. The ones that highlight syntax errors in python, or js, or that spit out compilation errors for

It really depends on what type of plugins you're talking about. The ones that highlight syntax errors in python, or js, or that spit out compilation errors for C are a must, and one of the most important features for me. The plugins that take hours to configure, and let you press on key instead of three for some infrequent action: yes, avoid them. No matter how fancy they look, and how well someone tries to sell it to you. CtrlP is also a must for me. Instantly open any file, even if I vaguely recall it's name. And no configuration necessary (though you can optionally tweak it a bit).