what effects?

Multi-effects are not cr*p. They do one thing well: put a whole bunch of effects into a small convenient package. Having said that, I will tell you that I avoid multi-effects units like the plague. My feeling is that they usually do only a couple of things well and the rest are ok at best. Add to that the fact that of the zillions of sounds availalbe to you will normally find only 2 or 3 useful. Modifying the sounds to your liking can require a lot of patience. They can be very difficult to modify live. Most of these units are all or mostly digital, which in my opinion, cna sound sterile. On the plus side, they are convenient. Once programmed, they are generally easy to use.
They are also easy to hook into the signal chain, and pack-up quickly.

I like individual pedals because I can create my own sound. I can select from among a bunch of chorus pedals and choose the one that suits me the most. Individual pedals are usually easier to tweek in a live situation, and if one pedal malfunctions, the rest still work fine. Pedals are overall cheaper to own. (Of course you can spend hundreds of dollars on a single pedal.) They are fun to collect, especially some of the cool vintage stuff. Pedals can be more of a hassle to maintain. They need batteries of power supplies. They are usually used with other pedals, which means lots of wiring. (Ever experience the mysterious disappearing sound just before the set starts?) If you are really into it, you will likely decide to purchase a pedalboard, case, and some type of regulated power supply unit. This can get expensive.

Overall, I would say purchase a multi-effects unit if you want easy set-up and some good generic sounds. They are especially useful for cover bands or GB bands. Buy pedals if you want to experiment, create unique sounds, and want to develop your own style and sound. In either case, don't spend a lot of money initially until you have had a chance to play around with effects for a while. It takes time to learn how to use them well.