In 2002, ' producer Ira Steven Behr stated that unlike some plots, which originated from a single small idea, the creation of the Dominion villain and story arc was "very much thought out." Behr said that the earliest mention of the Dominion was purposely planted in the comic Season Two Ferengi episode, "", to leave the audience with an impression of "how important could it be?" It was decided that the Gamma Quadrant would need an ambience that would distinguish it from the Alpha Quadrant. The producers wanted to portray the region as something other than "uncharted space", and avoid imitating the adventures of ' with another series of plots focusing primarily on themes of exploration. After 18 months of "Deep Space Nine" exposition, the producers decided to characterize The Dominion as "anti-Federation". Writer and script editor Robert Hewitt Wolfe has explained that this move also distinguished "Deep Space Nine" from its successor series, "", which stars a lost Federation ship traversing the chaotic and divided Delta Quadrant of the Milky Way.