Or you could just have the vessel itself armed and use the warships for military operations.
Or you could use warships as escorts, just like the real world. And you could have drilling ships that are built for drilling, not combat with dozens of warships, 23rd century or not.
A modern drilling ship wouldnt last 5 minutes with a single 100 year old dreadnought, let alone a fleet of them.
No I think the writers wanted something powerful, alien and threatening. Im sure Star Wars was an influence here. And they apparently thought it was necessary to have the drilling. Spocks ship doesnt need to do that, but it is necessary for the Narada. In fact it wouldnt be necessary for the Narada either. If it can swallow up a whole planet Im not sure why drilling a hole first is necessary. It shouldnt be. But lets not even bother with the faux physics of red goo.
The drilling idea was just assinine. But since they also wanted it to take out whole fleets of ships, which is an absurdity, they made it very heavily armed. Just make the thing a bloody Warbird and then taking out as many 23rd Century Klingon and Starfleet ships is a bit more believable.
It launched the Red Matter into the nova.
Sucking it up even though it had spread for light years by then, right? At warp speed. Sucking what up? For light years in all directions?
The Narada chased after Spock after Romulus was destroyed.
Because a miner knew all about the plan, the ship, the pilot and for reasons unknown thought Spock was to blame for this. Indeed, even today, the Pentagon normally calls up random miners in West Virginia or drill ship captains, to give them updates on all the important operations.
Just in case they wanted to destroy any experimental craft they might encounter with the bristling armament that is so typical of drilling ships.
I never thought it was B.S. You said that, but if you're going to be fair about it...
No you said that. You said "People disappearing from one place and appearing in others isn't [believable] either. Oh well, what can you do?"
Were you not talking about the transporter there? "What you can do" is not write BS. Even keeping the transporter doesnt mean its BS time for Red Star Sucking Goo or warp speed supernovas.