Quote Originally Posted by stargazer01 View Post
more character development doesn't mean a character is better, imo. Sometimes that development sucks.

And Kirk wasn't always by the book Captain. He disobeyed Starfleet to find his friend. That was part of his character development, he loved Spock as a brother. I also don't watch Star Trek for pure realism. I watch it as great escapism and moral lessons.
Being a cheater is practically a defining trait for Kirt, so it absolutely is fair to say he's not always by the book. Part of the reason the book exists is probably to keep guys like Kirk in line.

But that's a part of his charm, in contrast to guy like Picard who bleed Star Fleet. Sisko falls somewhere in the middle.