How needed are mods for TS4 compared to other sims 4 games?/Your Favorite Mods (2019)

I hadn't used mods until Sims 3, and some Sims 4 mods I feel are vital, but vital for my gameplay, not necessarily for the game.

I do have an entire folder in my mods folder titled "BugFix", so those I feel are required.

I do play vanilla after a patch, and I'm always more than ready to go back to my nodded folder (which usually consists of more mods than I started with cause I find all kinds of new ones I want when I'm updating).

For me, mods are necessary.