I actually like some of the image ideas. An area based on Chuck Norris vs. Jean-Claude Van Damme vs. Arnold Schwarzenegger, complete with typical items.
It's perfectly balanced, considering it's giving an in-game bonus to things that were never designed to have in-game bonuses, and, indeed, designed specifically to not give in-game bonuses.
The churches are empty / The priest has gone home / And we are left standing / Together alone
--October Project: "Dark Time"
I liek unlockables. Blink's right, though. Alot of single-player games do have unlockables for various achievements, because there's no harm in letting you make the game easier for yourself. That doesn't mean it can't still be used in multi-player like TH, it'd just have to be toned down a bit. Like maybe +1% chips (or maybe a flat value) instead of 100% for the bridge thing, or 5 xp a battle for the bridge thing. It's not gamebreaking and has very little effect. That said, it's not really necessary either.
Badges that do something have been suggested. I've been mostly resistant, as I see them as their own reward. About the only "fair" option I could consider is giving a slight boost to one attribute (offense, defense, etc.) if you've got more than X badges, where X is a large number but small enough that even new players could get it within 6 months, if they were so inclined.
like the name says.. you've been working 'til quite late... this might mean not less time for fighting crime.. but less efectiveness doin' it
-exp
-iniciative
+ damage recieved -I mean... less defense-
since this is not quite a nice effect. I was thinking about removing this by resting several turns.. or using an sleeping draught...
Yeah.. I kniw.. this stuff ain't good at all for any heroe... but.. it will give the character's secret identity a bit more influence on the patrolling.. more like real life...well, not real life... but... unreal-real life