WordPress already has a "hidden" options page which lets you tweak a tonne of things. Therefore I think you're hitting the nail on the head with hiding the lesser used options away. It'd be nice if, should you change a setting, it would automatically become part of your main options screen & not the hidden one. It would also need to be heavily documented.
I think this is probably preferable to the overhead of tonnes of plugins??
I think this is probably preferable to the overhead of tonnes of plugins??