[Akula2ssn]

Well destroying Earth would have also altered the story quite a bit. An important component to the story was Spock losing his home and his the emotional conflict he had regarding it. True, his mother was from Earth, but Spock was raised as a Vulcan and grew up on Vulcan. It was pretty much what he knew as home for most of his life. Destroying Earth would have quite an effect on us the audience, but it doesn't really do anything for the story. If anything it takes away from the story.

[Enterprise NCC-1701-A]

if earth was destoryed during nero's attack the federation would have just little time to exist ( Star Trek Enterprise Episode: Twlight) that episode gave us a glimse of what might have been if Earth was destoryed. also it looked wierd because when the narada was atop of earth it really looked like VGER's ship lol.

[Vincent Cain]

Originally Posted by Enterprise NCC-1701-A

if earth was destoryed during nero's attack the federation would have just little time to exist ( Star Trek Enterprise Episode: Twlight) that episode gave us a glimse of what might have been if Earth was destoryed. also it looked wierd because when the narada was atop of earth it really looked like VGER's ship lol.

Wow; you really are hooked on this apparent likeness between V'ger and the Narada....I just don't see it.

[StarTrekXIfan]

Originally Posted by TJJones

I have to agree with the majority of responders here and say that destroying Earth would probably lose the decidedly-Earth-centric target audience of the movie.

LOL That's hilariously true.

Besides Earth has already been destroyed in yet another alternative timeline in the Enterprise prequel series by the Xindi. Even if many of the casual Star Trek fans that went to see this new film wouldn't know about it, it would be an even more unoriginal storyline than the time travel thing, which was narrowly avoided by the creation of the alternative universe thing.

[Enterprise NCC-1701-A]

Originally Posted by Vincent Cain

Wow; you really are hooked on this apparent likeness between V'ger and the Narada....I just don't see it.

check out the remastered Star Trek: The Motion Picture The Directors Edition and you will see VGER's ship comming out of the cloud orbiting earth and it looks like the Narada with the size

[I-Am-Zim]

Also, the opening where the Enterprise entered V'Ger looks a lot like the opening where Captain Pike's shuttle entered the Narada. Just pointing that out. Not that I really see much similarity between the two ships either.

[kevin]

Yeah, I thought that so similar as to be a deliberate homage.