At present the player can build a normal base down there ... in my opinion it should be *very* expensive to do so and maintain, if at all due to having to import so much and the difficulties in maintaining a standard base in that location ... Perhaps the player would also have to research some type of special technology to support a base there?
Hmm I'm agree with high build/maintain expenses, but the mankind already have corresponding technologies, in real world at our days! It seems that in 2084 people will have even more advanced techniques, allowing to build and maintain autonomous bases.
How about mini nuclear power generator (
IAEA approved, of course!) supplies electricity for melting snow and support hydroponic plantations and even farms. Also, there may be a simple storage for wastes (frozen shit, to be exact - I can't recall proper English word) to prepare them to be sent as a fertilizer to China or India. (nothing personal against both countries, just a pure fact about growing rice and other vegetation). Because of deep cooling, these substances (produced as by human, as by farm animals) may be stored there almost infinitely.
Frozen brickets may be safely sealed with plastic before transportation and so on...
So, we can have almost autonomous base, which is expensive on build, but require just a bit larger maintain costs. Ok, ok, there always is the risk of mini-Chernobyl, but... But I'm sure, 80 years may be enough to invent highly safe and robust reactors, whose will not melt a south ice cap.
Perhaps this could be changed so that at the start it's either too expensive, or a pop-up says something like: "You do not currently have the technology to support a base in this environment"?
Partially agree (see above): the building of the Antarctic base must be much more expensive than the cost of regular base building, but the difference between maintain costs should be very thin or absent at all. Also, costs of BUILDING of facilities must be higher, but not maintenance of theirs!
EDIT. few words about PHALANX emblem.
Reading wikipedia about IAEA, I've watched its flag:
Note its similarity with UNO flag: laurel wreath on blue background, enclosing the symbol of specific UNO's department. Why can't we invent similar emblem and flag, because PHALANX may not function without UNO's approval.
How about UNO's flag
Where the inner globe is partially covered with easy identifiable shield, aegis? I'm not an artist and can't draw my proposal, but... Now I'm looking for the rights of usage of UNO symbolics.