Yes, we needed it. Why, because for all the time I watched TOS I never knew the size of the ship.
Already done in TNG.
Not sure the issue here.
Nonsensical standard is nonsensical. This isn't about impact. There are few films that move me the way that Star Wars did the first time I watched it 30 years ago. Should I stop watching films?
Or, to put it in a more Trek fame of reference, TOS is my favorite series, bar none. The reason I got in to DS9 was because of the "Trials and Tribble-ations" novelizations, and episode and I found myself more engaged with the characters because of the reframe. Should I measure all Trek series by TOS standards? 'Cause, I did that and that's why TNG and TMP will always land lower on my list of Trek series if that is my standard.
If I take them as their own individual thing, tied to past shows but not strictly, then the shared history becomes richer, the tapestry deeper than my fan boy imaginings, and I welcome something new and diverse. To me, that's closer to the spirt of Trek than all the other shows trying to master continuity could ever do.
Mileage will vary.