▁until ▁The ▁Mot ion ▁Picture . ▁During ▁The ▁Original ▁Series , ▁it ▁was ▁decided ▁to ▁use ▁them ▁more ▁frequently ▁than ▁the ▁Rom ul ans , ▁whose ▁prost het ics ▁were ▁more ▁expensive . ▁The ▁original ▁rid g eless ▁design ▁was ▁created ▁after ▁suggestions ▁by ▁John ▁Col icos , ▁who ▁based ▁them ▁on ▁G eng his ▁Khan ▁and ▁the ▁people ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁and ▁ 1 4 th ▁century ▁Mong ol ▁Empire . ▁When ▁" Bro ken ▁Bow " ▁a ired , ▁it ▁featured ▁K ling ons ▁with ▁fore head ▁rid ges , ▁despite ▁the ▁series ▁being ▁set ▁prior ▁to ▁The ▁Original ▁Series . ▁On ▁the ▁episode ' s ▁script , ▁the ▁old ▁style ▁K ling ons ▁were ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁" type - two " ▁and ▁" sem i - K ling ons ". ▁ ▁The ▁story line ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁several ▁in ▁the ▁fourth ▁season ▁of ▁Enter prise ▁which ▁show ▁runner ▁Mann y ▁C oto ▁sought ▁to ▁connect ▁the ▁series ▁to ▁The ▁Original ▁Series . ▁C oto ▁also ▁revealed ▁in ▁an ▁interview ▁with ▁the ▁Chicago ▁Trib une ▁that ▁the ▁episode ▁would ▁see ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁Section ▁ 3 1 . ▁The ▁episode ▁also ▁featured ▁the ▁first ▁appearance ▁on - screen ▁of ▁the ▁R ig eli ans , ▁despite ▁first ▁being ▁mentioned ▁in ▁The ▁Original ▁Series ▁and ▁again ▁in ▁D S 9 . ▁" Aff lic tion " ▁marks ▁the ▁fifth ▁writing ▁credit ▁of ▁the ▁fourth ▁season ▁for ▁Michael ▁S uss man , ▁while ▁director ▁Michael ▁G ross man ▁had