A weird link, and I think we can do better.: Magic Staff

So, someone added a picture to this page, and I don't think there's something expressly wrong with it, though I think it's nothing special and almost looks more spear-like than staff-like, but it looks like it's linked to off site. Is that even allowed?

Strongly preferred that off-site links go from the caption. The widget looks quite bad on an image.

It is weak.

An offsite link is only for artists who drew the picture if they ask to be linked there, not random screenshots.

And I think its a poor image.... Lets see

edited 14th Jan '12 11:01:32 PM by Raso

Why the glowing +? Is he the math wizard?

From the same site: [1]◊ [2]◊

Seems a bit like Boom Stick to me.

I think we need something with Instant Runes around it casting.

A boom stick shoot stuff. It's not shooting anything. Not even close.

I still like the ice queen. But I am an offensive magic kind of guy.

The pic at #6 seems to have a signature. I like the one at #8.

Having a signature is not an issue (quite the opposite), so long as there's no copyright mark or watermark.

Noted. But I still like the one at #8. Something about chicks in armour wielding a magic staff makes me intrigued.

[1]◊ [2]◊ [3]

Also second from the right on the second row from the bottom◊

edited 15th Jan '12 12:20:03 AM by troacctid

Those are kind of ugly. And none of them actually show the character doing any magic with them.

I dunno about flinging magic around, the article is not exactly A Staff That Is Magic, it is the convention that wizard-types frequently carry a staff. Limited to staff or dagger, say. Could see use as a melee weapon.

Actually, it is. To quote:

To quote Magic Wand:

Short story, a Magic Staff sans magic is a Simple Staff.

edited 15th Jan '12 2:09:13 AM by Ghilz

No, I know, but it is more like Weapon Of Choice, could be a simple wooden staff. Doesn't have to be ostentatious, maybe even that is bad. I still like the blue sorceress, just the requests for fireballs (etc) seem like the wrong direction.

edited 15th Jan '12 2:13:30 AM by rodneyAnonymous

No, but it does have to be magical, even if it looks like a branch (like Gandalf's). So better to show a staff doing magic, to avoid misuse.

EDIT: I agree it should'nt be shooting out stuff, so it doesn't end up looking like a Boom Stick. But performing some sort of magic (even if it's just faintly glowing) would make it a better image.

edited 15th Jan '12 2:16:18 AM by Ghilz

Its good enough. Leave it. Well if you must replace it go with the second picture in post five but why? I don't like it isn't good enough. It's a glowing staff said to be magical. It is not incorrect and doesn't mislead the reader to what the trope is. Aren't their image less pages you could be checking on?

edited 15th Jan '12 2:58:08 AM by Cider

I agree.

I don't see anything wrong with the current image. It is a wizard (with traditional wizard robes) carrying a staff, and the staff has a glowing tip to indicate its magical nature.

Everything else that people have proposed has been a wizard, carrying a staff, with the staff having various glowy stuff indicating magic. If anything, many of the proposals look a great deal less wizardly than the current picture.

Are we really proposing anything better, or is this just a collective act of Entry Pimping?

edited 15th Jan '12 4:51:34 AM by Catbert

Is there anything specifically wrong with the current picture, other than the fact that it wasn't picked by one have half a dozen or so regulars of IP forums?

I think it's kinda weak, honestly...good for Image Links, but lackluster for a page pic. Posts #6 and #8 are the best suggestions of everything so far.

edited 15th Jan '12 9:45:27 AM by Willbyr

It is stuff like this that really inclines me to giving up on trying to contribute to TV Tropes.

Define "weak" in a way other than "a half a dozen or so people that always hang on on this one board didn't pick it."

The caption is inaccurate. That's from The Lord of the Rings: Conquest. Note the Balrog's leg on the right side. Not sure if that's relevant to the image picking, but the caption must change at least.

edited 15th Jan '12 10:35:42 AM by Chimaera

It is "good enough" if there were no better suggested replacements, but there totally are. Already.

The UI elements (especially since the crop makes it unclear what they are) look bad.