-snip-
Thoughts?
I'm a bit unsure how you want that "Dungeon Rest Camp" to play out. You also talk about NPC's, but your idea reads as if the players themselves are to establish that camp. So the first players are the pioneers of that camp, which will be slowly settled with npcs and facilities, if the players bring back enough resources to do so / sell the resources they don't need (to buy better stuff for themselves)?
Regardless, one thought that I have on this matter, is that npc's might have a limited stock of "quality goods". As in, if the players want more than steel, like mithril or other magical weapons, they better get that material themselves, because either the shop hasn't any in stock, or - if other players, or npc's brought some mithril back - it will be far more expensive, than if the players provide the "core" materials. Reagents for high-class potions, foci, crystals & mythical materials for non-metal "class" weapons (Think bows, staffs, drake-leather-armour & stuff), would also be possible. Giving them tiers, would ease "stream-lining" them, while not taking away from the possibilities. Tier 3 Reagent for Tier 3 Equipment - plus a T3 Reagent for enchanting +x stat for a T3 enchantment (with T1 Equip not able to hold T2 Enchants or higher).
Yeah... that idea already got way overcomplicated, but the core of it might be usable.
Successfull dives and quests, could also be rewarded with a higher "adventurer rank" - giving lesser cost and increased access to guild-related business like the inns, healers & others. Theoretically, a higher rank might also come with "Mission / Emergency Requests", though too much of forced quests, would not be fun for the players. (Even if they could be avoided by paying a fine).
Having a multitude of branches, would surely be welcomed by the players. Access to them via teleportation circles (for a price - magic isn't free), might also be worth an idea. First having to "unlock" some of them, might also make sense - especially with one-time-quests / killing bosses or tribes that previously blocked access to the area, or other blockades.
Mars is a planet so the regions wrap around as indicated by the arrows and polar regions are all stretched and adjacent on both ends.
Presuming that every region, has the same "size", I like it. Imagine a nuke-silo on 30, and a ~2 tile outwards radius where they could strike. Now do the same for 1. Just like it would work in reality. Adds another layer of intuitive strategy to the game, without making the rules themselves more complicated.
Theoretically, the regions could also hold different geological features, with assorted boni & mali, but I am unsure if another layer of rules, would add more to the game, than it would take from it by being more complicated. That mars can't really hold much more than "deserts", "ridges", "mountains", "hills", and "plateus" (and that is already stretching it a bit), thus limiting what players would have to remember, might just make them worthwhile though. Well, or maybe not.
Same reasoning applies to possible "resources" like ores, ice & stuff.