10 Welcome Changes Deep Space Nine Made To The Star Trek Formula

Much like the stationary setting of DS9, the reintroduction of money into a society that has outgrown the need for it may seem like a step backwards. It's important to remember, though, that there are more than just humans on the space station, and one such race, the Ferengi, can't get enough of their much-coveted currency: gold-pressed latinum.

For the station's Ferengi bartender, Quark, latinum is a huge motivator for almost everything he does. The Ferengi civilisation is built entirely around its pursuit of wealth, with 285 Rules of Acquisition governing how to maximise their profits in any given situation. The crew have even been known to bribe Quark with latinum to get him to perform tasks he would never otherwise do.

And the Ferengi aren't the only ones to use gold-pressed latinum, as it appears to be in use all over Deep Space Nine. While money was never something that was missed in the series prior to DS9, here it presents new stakes for the characters, and new consequences for failure, making for an increase of tension whenever it comes into play. With Quark's bar also doubling as a casino of sorts, he definitely knows how to capitalise on this tension.