Originally Posted by spyone
Well, I was partly missing the point, but I think you also missed mine: The relative strengths of the weapons and defenses are largely irrelevant.
If I cannot be hit, and you cannot dodge my shots, then I don't need any defenses at all, and even if I am using a pea-shooter against your WWII battleship, if anyone ever wins it will be me.
If you are using STL weapons, my FTL sensors will tell me where you are shooting and my FTL drive will take me away from there. However, your STL sensors will do you no good in predicting where my FTL weapons are going.
Star Trek supposes FTL weapons, sensors, and drives. That gives its ships a significant tactical advantage over those of any setting that does not.
That doesn't make Trek "cooler", but it does make "who'd win" discussions kinda pointless. :)