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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Xamnam" data-source="post: 8852225" data-attributes="member: 7037765">Looking for the direct quote, which, with such a well worn concept at this point and considering translation, is hard to find, I find two standard forms, attributed to a letter he wrote to a fellow playwright, and the memoirs of an art collector:“One must not put a loaded rifle on the stage if no one is thinking of firing it.” [Sometimes followed by: "It’s wrong to make promises you don’t mean to keep.” ]and"If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on a wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off. If it’s not going to be fired, it shouldn’t be hanging there."I do think the phrasing of the first is salient. There is a big difference between an empty and loaded rifle. If the rifle starts on stage, there is no knowing the status of it until it is mentioned or fired. Similarly, finding a dragonslaying arrow in the treasure of the last room of a dungeon tells you little about the 'intended' purpose by itself, versus finding it specifically protected, or in the active process of being crafted. The other aspect worth highlighting is that this is Chekov's Gun, and not Chekov's Whiskey Bottle, though there are certainly situations that could result in that. As much as I love No Exit, plays are a dramatic medium, and the very inclusion of the gun in the limited presentation that a stage allows creates excitement. The characters are going to take action, and a gun generally presents a very high stakes means of doing so. If the only things hanging on the wall are a painting, a coat hook, and a gun, one of these stands out. The audience should absolutely notice these two things, especially if the director and set designer are doing their jobs well. One generally does not see a table in a scene, and assume that it will bear major plot-driving fruit. The location, presentation, and uniqueness of the object in its setting are going to drive how rewarding, or expected, it will be to see it used. Generally, games should not unfold as plays. They have different motivations and mechanisms and goals, this is so obvious as to almost warrant not saying. But, humans are going to find narrative in both, and so tools for crafting satisfying narratives are worth considering. I myself am not going to make sure there are nothing but guns on the walls, nor would I stop them from melting down the gun into a new pair of daggers, but I absolutely want to provide the opportunities that are the seeds for resolution that feels all the more earned due to the story being, if not neat and tidy, at least more curated than the randomness of real life.</blockquote>

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