Could use a good picture: Kung Fu Wizard

Well, I'll think on this but I think to do it I'll have to expand my selection beyond two shots from the same battle.

edited 6th Jan '12 11:01:46 PM by Auxdarastrix

Well, on the plus side you have a wizard doing something stereotypical wizardly, and referring to a spell. You also have a wizard attempting to punch someone. So it looks like this trope, using the paremeters that have been set so far.

On the down side, anyone that reads this and knows the story will know that it isn't really the trope. Negi at this point in the story is still a Squishy Wizard who is trying an improvised technique, not a trained martial art, and he's doing it rather unsuccessfully (though in fairness to him, his target was insanely over powered.)

edited 6th Jan '12 11:36:13 PM by Auxdarastrix

I'd say it's an improvement.

Happily, that's utterly irrelevant to whether it's a good image or not.

"Happily, that's utterly irrelevant to whether it's a good image or not."

Let me see if I get this straight...

Things that are examples that demonstrate how the trope is most commonly portrayed in actual works but don't have characteristic not required in the trope definition are bad examples and risk trope decay.

Things that are not examples but match a set of standards not related to the trope definition are good trope images and won't promote the use of the trope for things that aren't related to its definition.

Oy vey...

edited 6th Jan '12 11:49:52 PM by Auxdarastrix

D&D Enlightened Fist◊ Prestige Class (Monk / Wizard Hybrid)

Looks just like ki to me.

edited 6th Jan '12 11:50:57 PM by Auxdarastrix

This guy too◊

^^^&^ Too much kungfu, too little wizardy, I think.

edited 7th Jan '12 12:22:16 AM by Adannor

Actually, that strikes me as too much wizard, too little kung fu. The big glowing arms establish the former pretty well, but the latter (again) seems to come only from a pose.

Yes, because one of the fundamental principles of what makes a good image is that you shouldn't have to know anything about its original context. An image that is the trope in context, but doesn't show it, will confuse everyone who isn't familiar with its source. An image that isn't the trope in context, but looks like it, will confuse only the people who do recognize it. (Obviously, we prefer images that show the trope and are actual examples of it.)

edited 7th Jan '12 1:08:25 AM by nrjxll

The last batch of images are an improvement, but not sold yet.

Let's try a bit different angle. Some more Fairy Tail Natsu:[1]◊[2]◊[3]◊[4]◊, just from his wiki page.

1 & 2 look like he's dodging an explosion, 3 looks like Chi or some battle aura. 4 looks like one of those impact flash (Were they called Hit Flash?) when someone get's punched,

Thinking out loud: I remember that guy from Fullmetal Alchemist fighting physically and making magickal hexagrams in pretty much equal frequency. Can't get any, though.

Ed doesn't do magic circles very much, he doesn't need them. And he is the one mainly melee fighting.

Ah yes, I remember now. That's why he's considered so good at it, I think?

So, that plan crashed and burned.

He isnt really Kung Fu as well he uses weapons mainly created from his automail. The FMA Games he uses his arm transformed into a sword or other objects made into weapons never actually uses hand to hand combat, it is more Magic Knight this trope's super trope.

(not to say Kung-Fu Wizard cant use weapons though sometimes, Negi uses his Magic Staff charges it with lightning to turn it into a spear, using real Chinese spear techniques.)

27, 41 or 52 are ok with me.

Slightly off topic but the kung fu instructions I talked about earlier.◊

edited 7th Jan '12 2:30:08 AM by Raso

Al may not need magic circles, but they often glow in the air when he does things. And there are other alchemists who right in that show.

"On the down side, anyone that reads this and knows the story will know that it isn't really the trope." "Happily, that's utterly irrelevant to whether it's a good image or not."

Please elaborate. (Others have expressed that being an example is not necessary to an image, also; don't mean just you.)

Possibly not critical (personally disagree), but definitely not irrelevant.

edited 7th Jan '12 4:33:22 PM by rodneyAnonymous

It's not a matter of personal (dis)agreement - it has been repeatedly said in Image Picking threads that an image that is not an example in context, but demonstrates the trope without it, can count as an image. I was wrong in saying it's totally irrelevant, as it does make an image strictly worse then one that both shows and actually is the trope.

Yes, I mean, I would like to hear why, besides "it has been said before".

Because a page image should not make the assumption that anyone is familiar with the context. If the image fits, and there's nothing better, then we should put it up - it will only confuse those who are familiar with the source material, as opposed to confusing everyone but those people as a fan myopic image would.

I think an image should be good without context and even better with context. Ceteris paribus, that definitely matters.

Is it okay if it's good without and bad with? I don't think so. It should confuse no one, fans or not.

edited 7th Jan '12 5:00:06 PM by rodneyAnonymous

If it's bad with context we've had issues of images that aren't examples but just look like it if you don't know the work causing trope decay in the past. It's actually worse than no image on the general state of the trope.

edited 7th Jan '12 10:04:15 PM by shimaspawn

/nod... Understandable, tho that seems like an exception, not a rule. Such an image would in fact be confusing, despite being an example, in that case. But in general I think being an example in-context is a huge plus, versus an image that's not.

edited 7th Jan '12 10:13:43 PM by rodneyAnonymous

It's actually a frequent issue whenever we end up doing it. We generally end up having to do a new thread in a couple of months thanks to a rash of bad examples. As a result while it's not expressly disallowed it's very strongly frowned upon and it is bad for the trope.