Ironically the limitations put on DS9 made it one of the best and what shows today should take notes on. Because the studio wanted episodic television and the writers wanted serial arcs. You got this mash up of the early seasons being more character driven one off stories like TNG’s 3rd season and on. But then once you got to know the characters in seasons 1 and 2 they opened the floodgates with long arch’s with and over arching arc of the War to see these bigger stories with established characters hell I think some DS9 recurring characters have more depth than most of Voygers main cast but even then there would be a one off breather episode like the holosuite heist or baseball or even more character development like with Nog’s leg to let out the tension of the story. So they ramp it back up again.