Doesn't show the "bottomless" part: Bottomless Pits

The picture, from {{300}}, shows a regular pit instead of a bottomless one. That's not an example of the trope, so motion to pull.

So... You want us to find an image of an actual bottomless pic.

Ok.

How, exactly, do you propose that we show that a pit is bottomless?

We might want to go for a picture like this one◊ and a caption along the line of "not pictured: the bottom". I can't really think of anythig else -aside maybe a "bottomless pit" sign, but that would be just lame.

That's actually better, because it focuses more on the pit. Also, I'm sure there's comics out there that play with the concept.

It's also possible that this trope isn't picturable in the first place. That doesn't change the fact that The 300 just isn't an example.

I don't get the objection to the 300 picture at all. It shows a pit. Viewer can image it as bottomless if they like. Also, it shows the pit as having a purpose in the story.

Well that frame doesn't show it that well. It just looks like a guy getting kicked into a regular pit. This might need a multi part picture to show the pit is fatally deep (which is the effective result of a bottomless pit).

Yeah, it's good intention, but I wish we stop quasi-splitting-hairs in Image Pickin'.

edited 26th Oct '11 9:03:16 AM by Catalogue

I think a good picture might be a double frame of a game with a character missing a jump (preferable in a 3D game rather than a 2D one), and falling into the lack of ground in that level. It could even be the sky.

Does the 300 scene have a shot of them actually falling into the pit? It's been too long since I've seen it.

Nope.

For that matter, does the 300 scene actually mention the pit being bottomless, or is it meant to be just a regular pit?

By that logic I should remove most of the examples, since the pits are not explicitely mentioned to be bottomless. Only inferred to be so.

Well, a "very deep pit" is clearly not the same thing as a "bottomless pit".

As this is primarily a video game trope (and in video games it's pretty obvious what is meant), I would indeed say that any non-video game example would require somebody pointing out the bottomlessness of the pit. It's not uncommon in fantasy or myth, but it does mean that any example of just a "very deep pit" is incorrect.

(edit) I count 13 examples that aren't video games; 6 of those are correct; the rest are either listed as "subversion" or are listed with the disclaimer that they probably aren't an example.

edited 26th Oct '11 3:33:55 PM by Spark9

If it's "probably" not an example then it's Not An Example.

Well, it might be easy if we found one with a sign on it? I'm sure there are a billion cartoons that use that gag.

[1]◊ for example

edited 27th Oct '11 4:57:36 AM by BlasTech

I don't think it needs to be truly bottomless. Nearly all of the examples, even video game ones, are only assumed to be so, and implied to be only, indeed, "very deep pits". It even says so in the description.

However, it does seem best to have a video game one (preferably a side scroller) as a page image. I picture the player character falling to a pit that goes beyond the screen.

(Of course, you can say that "it's not shown to be bottomless" there, too, but that's a pure case of Red Paint Defense.*

In many video games, bottomless pits are really bottomless from the perspective of game mechanics. There is, quite literally, absolutely nothing underneath there, and certainly not a bottom. It's just the manuals that occasionally handwave this as "very deep pits".

That doesn't matter. From a cinematic mechanic there's literally nothing beneath the pit, too, as it's not filmed. These things are not usually recognised, in the context provided, as truly bottomless.

Okay, good point.

Regardless, some works simply have the wrong kind of setting for a bottomless pit. For example, in a story in contemporary New York, a manhole that we don't see the bottom of does not suddenly become an example just because the bottom is never shown. That's just any old pit.

On that account, I've removed a few bad examples, as suggested earlier in this thread.

Okay, this is really crude and probably works better for I Fell for Hours, but I'll suggest it anyway...and yes, I know my Paint fu is weak.

Too literal. We don't want people to confuse this trope for I Fell for Hours (which is what that image is demonstrating).

Maybe cut out the part where he says he's bored

edited 28th Oct '11 12:20:03 AM by KaiserMazoku

On the other hand, it's given me an idea.

edited 28th Oct '11 1:00:42 AM by troacctid