[Sarisberie] A dead cert.

[Sarisberie]

EDITED PUZZLE STATEMENT (for clarity):-

Tonight, I will definitely see a stranger get shot, but I don’t know who it is yet. How do I know?

[GalFisk]

Stranger: H? A? M? Shot: injuried? Killed? Inconvenienced? Photographed? Injected? Shot into space? I: H? A? M? You, Sarisberie? Will the stranger know you're seeing this? Will you see this in person? Through a screen? In a recording?

[Sarisberie]

Stranger: H? A? M? Doesn't really matter, but let's say HAM
Shot: injuried? Could be this Killed? or this Inconvenienced? Photographed? Injected? Shot into space? I: H? A? M? You, Sarisberie? Let's assume "I" = HAF for puzzle continuity. Will the stranger know you're seeing this? Yes, for SVV of 'you' Will you see this in person? yes Through a screen? In a recording?

[trebor2]

Shot by a gun? Blank? Bow and arrow? Blow dart? Some other projectile?

Is the stranger a criminal? Do they know they will be shot tonight? Would they be shot as punishment for something? Because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time? As part of their job? Would being shot benefit them somehow? Benefit someone else? Does the stranger want to die?

When you say that the stranger could be injured or killed, is that the goal? Is whoever gets shot supposed to survive the shooting? Is this for a play, stunt show, etc.?

Are you the person who will shoot the stranger? Are you acquainted with the shooter? Do you know who will do the shooting? Is the shooter a HA? Are other people (other than the shooter and you) going to see the stranger get shot?

Is this, like, an event that you would go to? Willingly witness? Does this happen in the 21st century? War time relevant?

Stranger = someone whose name you don't even know? Someone with a recognizable name, but you don't know them personally? Is there a group of people who could maybe be shot tonight? And you don't know who in that group it will be? Is it set that only one person will be shot tonight? Will more than one person be shot tonight? Is the location relevant? Is this a hostage situation?

Is your profession relevant? Is the profession of the victim relevant? The profession of the shooter? Are political events relevant?

[Sarisberie]

Shot by a gun? Yes Blank? Yes Bow and arrow? Blow dart? Some other projectile?

Is the stranger a criminal? Irrel Do they know they will be shot tonight? Yope Would they be shot as punishment for something? Because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time? As part of their job? This Would being shot benefit them somehow? Benefit someone else? Does the stranger want to die? All irrel

When you say that the stranger could be injured or killed, is that the goal? Yes Is whoever gets shot supposed to survive the shooting? Yes Is this for a play, THIS stunt show, etc.?

Are you the person who will shoot the stranger? No Are you acquainted with the shooter? no Do you know who will do the shooting? no Is the shooter a HA? yes Are other people (other than the shooter and you) going to see the stranger get shot? yes

Is this, like, an event that you would go to? yes Willingly witness? yes Does this happen in the 21st century? irrel War time relevant? no

Stranger = someone whose name you don't even know? I don't know at the moment Someone with a recognizable name, irrel but you don't know them personally? correct Is there a group of people who could maybe be shot tonight? yes And you don't know who in that group it will be? correct Is it set that only one person will be shot tonight? likely this Will more than one person be shot tonight? But could be this Is the location relevant? yes, and it's in a theatre/on a stage, as above Is this a hostage situation? no

Is your profession relevant? no Is the profession of the victim relevant? yope The profession of the shooter? yope Are political events relevant? no

[GalFisk]

When you say that you don't know who, do you mean that you don't know which actor will play the character that gets shot? That you don't know which character will get shot? Is it a whodunnit or similar mystery? Do you deliberately avoid getting to know who gets shot beforehand? Do the theater deliberately hide or obfuscate who gets shot? Change it?

[Sarisberie]

When you say that you don't know who, do you mean that you don't know which actor will play the character that gets shot? That you don't know which character will get shot? This Is it a whodunnit or similar mystery? yes Do you deliberately avoid getting to know who gets shot beforehand? I don't - I just watch as it unfolds Do the theater deliberately hide or obfuscate who gets shot? no Change it? no

[trebor2]

So you're going to a whodunnit/mystery play, and you don't know the outcome. Is there anything left to figure out? (No play spoylers, please!) Does it matter what play it is? The Mousetrap? Is this an improvised/choose your own adventure play, where a different character could be shot each night?

[Sarisberie]

So you're going to a whodunnit/mystery play, and you don't know the outcome. Correct Is there anything left to figure out? (No play spoylers, please!) Yes, there is. Does it matter what play it is? No, other than that it's a whodunnit/crime/mystery, that kind of play The Mousetrap? Irrel which play it is Is this an improvised/choose your own adventure play, where a different character could be shot each night? No

Trebor, I'm messaging you... pls let me know if it doesn't arrive.

[GalFisk]

Are you going as an audience member? Actor? Someone else associated with the production? Relevant who else is going? Where the play is performed? How many shots are fired? Is there one shooting victim in the play? More than one? Relevant?

[trebor2]

Responded to your PM

[Sarisberie]

Are you going as an audience member? yes Actor? no Someone else associated with the production? no Relevant who else is going? no Where the play is performed? in a theatre How many shots are fired? no, but at least one Is there one shooting victim in the play? More than one? Relevant? relevantly one, there could be more but number irrel

[Sarisberie]

Btw everyone, I've just edited the puzzle statement at the top, for clarity. Hope that's OK! Here is the new one, again:-

EDITED PUZZLE STATEMENT (for clarity):-
Tonight, I will definitely see a stranger get shot, but I don’t know who it is yet. How do I know?

[trebor2]

Did you have some prior knowledge of the play? So that you knew someone was going to be shot, even if you didn't know who?

Would anyone going to the play know that someone was going to be shot? Is anything about the playbill relevant? The marketing for the play? A poster? The title?

WAG: Had you been walking past the theatre another night the play was on at the moment the gun was fired, and you were able to hear it from outside? Do you know anyone who's been involved in the production somehow?

[Sarisberie]

Did you have some prior knowledge of the play? So that you knew someone was going to be shot, even if you didn't know who?

Would anyone going to the play know that someone was going to be shot? Some might, possibly Is anything about the playbill relevant? The marketing for the play? A poster? The title?

WAG: Had you been walking past the theatre another night the play was on at the moment the gun was fired, and you were able to hear it from outside? Do you know anyone who's been involved in the production somehow?

No to the rest

[GalFisk]

So is it correct to say that the only things you know about the production is that it's a whodunnit and someone will get shot? And we should figure out how you know someone will get shot? Because you don't know anything about the plot? Do you live at or near the theater and hear the shot every time? Has there been a notice or news article telling people not to worry about the noise? Or someone complaining about it? Or mistaking it for an actual crime? Or an automated system triggering a warning?

[Sarisberie]

So is it correct to say that the only things you know about the production is that it's a whodunnit and someone will get shot? yes And we should figure out how you know someone will get shot? yes Because you don't know anything about the plot? correct Do you live at or near the theater and hear the shot every time? Has there been a notice or news article telling people not to worry about the noise? Or someone complaining about it? Or mistaking it for an actual crime? Or an automated system triggering a warning? no to all

[GalFisk]

Do you have any connection with the production? Did you sell them blanks? Or a prop gun? Or issue a permit for its use? Did you learn about the gunshot by: reading something? Hearing someone talk? Hearing a noise? Speaking with someone? Through the internet? Through mass media? A poster? Other advertisement for the play? A precaution to the audience?

[Sarisberie]

Do you have any connection with the production? Did you sell them blanks? Or a prop gun? Or issue a permit for its use? Did you learn about the gunshot by: reading something? Hearing someone talk? Hearing a noise? Speaking with someone? Through the internet? Through mass media? A poster? Other advertisement for the play? A precaution to the audience? No to all

[trebor2]

Is the location of the theatre relevant? Is there anything unusual about the theatre itself? Is it an outdoor stage?

Did you learn about the gunshot through something you saw? Something you read? Something you touched/felt? Smelled? Is the behaviour of animals/birds in the area relevant?

Did you know that someone would get shot because of something that you deduced, as opposed to something that was directly made clear to you?

[Sarisberie]

Is the location of the theatre relevant? Is there anything unusual about the theatre itself? Is it an outdoor stage?

Did you learn about the gunshot through something you saw? this Something you read? Something you touched/felt? Smelled? Is the behaviour of animals/birds in the area relevant?

Did you know that someone would get shot because of something that you deduced, yes as opposed to something that was directly made clear to you?

[GalFisk]

Did you see: a poster? An actor? An audience member? Tickets being sold? Are you going to the first show? Some show after the first one? Relevant? Did you see hearing protection? Something related to weapons? Did you see an object? An action? Text? Graphics? Something on a screen? Online? Did what you saw make you want to go see the show? Relevant?

[Sarisberie]

Did you see: a poster? An actor? An audience member? Tickets being sold? Are you going to the first show? Some show after the first one? Relevant? Did you see hearing protection? Something related to weapons? yes Did you see an object? yes An action? Text? Graphics? Something on a screen? Online? Did what you saw make you want to go see the show? FA Relevant? Everything else no or irrel

[GalFisk]

Did you not want to go? Did you have to go? Did you not go? Is your profession relevant? Did you see a weapon? Ammunition? A magazine? Holster? Is it a real gun firing blanks? Prop gun that couldn't fire a bullet? Did you see something that was used during the performance?

[Sarisberie]

Did you not want to go? I did want to Did you have to go? no Did you not go? i did go Is your profession relevant? no Did you see a weapon? yes Ammunition? A magazine? Holster? irrel Is it a real gun firing blanks? Prop gun that couldn't fire a bullet? Could be either, assume gun which appears real Did you see something that was used during the performance? assume the performance has only just started

[GalFisk]

So when you understood that you'd see a stranger get shot, you were already watching the performance, correct? Or had it not started, but you had paid entrance? Chekov's gun relevant? Other trope?

[Sarisberie]

So when you understood that you'd see a stranger get shot, you were already watching the performance, correct? well... Or had it not started, it HAD started, but only just but you had paid entrance? Chekov's gun relevant? yes Other trope?

[Sundowner64]

Did you see the gun somewhere on stage? Did an actor carry it? Was it there on purpose? by mistake?
Did you know anything about the plot in beforehand? did you know someone would die but not yet how?
Did you spot anything relevant in the stage decoration (apart from the gun)?

[GalFisk]

Did you know that the writer adhered to the Chekov's gun principle? Or the director? Was thye play written by Chekov? Did you know any of the people performing in the play? Or know something about them? Relevant?

[Sarisberie]

Did you see the gun somewhere on stage? yes, assume on a table Did an actor carry it? no Was it there on purpose? yes by mistake?
Did you know anything about the plot in beforehand? no did you know someone would die but not yet how? so no
Did you spot anything relevant in the stage decoration (apart from the gun)? no

[Sarisberie]

Did you know that the writer adhered to the Chekov's gun principle? No, but assume relevant Or the director? assume relevant Was thye play written by Chekov? Did you know any of the people performing in the play? Or know something about them? Relevant? no to the rest

[Sundowner64]

So you saw the gun on the table at the very beginning of the performance? and concluded that someone would be shot? so you could safely exclude that the gun has any other purpose in the play? (like: someone had been shot already before the plot sets in, and the gun is a piece of evidence)
Did you have still some other relevant information? did you know the general idea of the plot? did you know that someone would die, and from the gun you could now infer that the person will be shot?

[Sarisberie]

So you saw the gun on the table at the very beginning of the performance? yes and concluded that someone would be shot? yes so you could safely exclude that the gun has any other purpose in the play? (like: someone had been shot already before the plot sets in, and the gun is a piece of evidence)
Did you have still some other relevant information? did you know the general idea of the plot? did you know that someone would die, and from the gun you could now infer that the person will be shot? N/R

******************$POILER********************

The curtain rises and we see a furnished room with a man in an armchair reading a newspaper. Amongst other things, there is a table with various objects on it, including a gun. We can assume the gun will be used at some point, or it wouldn’t be there. Not everyone in the audience will spot the gun.

 "One must never place a loaded rifle on the stage if it isn't going to go off. It's wrong to make promises you don't mean to keep." - Chekhov

[Sundowner64]

Fun fact: Chekhov himself took this advice with a grain of salt: He included in the "Cherry Orchard" a gun that is never fired.

[Sarisberie]

I know! Because he could, the devious little bugger.