Welcome to the second in our series of Bitmob Roundtable conversations, where we grab five members of the Bitmob community and discuss a gaming topic. This week's subject: the techniques and trials of video-game storytelling.

Our noble participants are Michael Rousseau, Kate Cox, Jeffrey Sandlin, Lasse Lund, and Paul Alexander. I highly recommend checking out their respective profile pages, as they've all written great stuff on Bitmob in the past.

Take a look at our discussion below, and feel free to add your own thoughts in the comments.

Bitmob: Let's start off with this question: What makes a good video-game narrative? Identify some games that you think tell a good story, and explain what techniques they use to do it.

Jeffrey: I don't know if any one thing makes a good video-game narrative. Metal Gear Solid, for example, is an absolute mess in some places and in severe need of editing down in others. Still, it is consistently remembered for some very strong characterization, plot, story interaction, and narrative tricks.

Michael: A good narrative gives you just enough information about the game world to play in it effectively without bogging you down in details. It tells you how to play the game, how to get by, and leaves some flavor behind to keep you interested.

It may sound weird, but World of Goo had one of the best organic narrative structures I've yet seen. The mysterious sign board writer leaves you hints in the background; optional bits of info that either give you an idea of how to proceed or give you a brief explanation of why you're doing what you're doing. Too many games beat you over the head with their tales, so this was a refreshing change of pace.

Kate: When I think of modern-era video-game narrative, I think of BioShock. The developers used every element at their disposal to help the player carry the story along. The ruined city was full of signs, and the recordings left behind were dialogue pieces to the puzzle. Environment and level design -- use of elements, lighting, framing, everything -- and even the very concept of player control were storytelling tools. And that's where I see the difference between games and, say, movies -- there's no concept of viewer control in HBO's Game of Thrones, no matter how much fun I may have watching it.

Paul: I feel like there are two schools of thought on video-game stories: You can either emulate the pacing and structure of a film or TV show, filling in the gaps with gameplay, or you can use the pacing and structure of the gameplay itself to act as the vessel of narrative delivery. There are games that do both well -- MGS, Uncharted, and Alan Wake are some examples of the former; Half-Life, Portal and Limbo are examples of the latter. And some games borrow a little from both columns -- Mass Effect, Grand Theft Auto, Fallout.

Lasse: I think that there are several elements necessary to a solid video-game narrative. First, I want to be taken on a journey. Second, I want to feel connected to the protagonist. One of my favorite video-game characters of all time has to be John Marston from Red Dead Redemption. I don't think there has ever been a more human video-game character ever created. Finally, a good narrative teaches you something. Whether it was BioShock's commentary on the nature of the first-person-shooter genre or Mass Effect dealing with the topic of racism, you walked away being more than simply entertained.

Bitmob: Cut-scenes are something I wanted to tackle. It's funny to see how they have progressed from, say, the first Ninja Gaiden on NES, where they really felt unique and groundbreaking, to games like Metal Gear Solid 4 or Final Fantasy 13, where you feel like all you're doing is watching. Do cut-scenes have a place in modern game narratives? Or are there better ways to communicate the story?

Jeffrey: I will defend cut-scenes 'til the day I die. I just don't see what has become so taboo about watching! The only difference between Final Fantasy 13 and older Final Fantasy games is that you’re watching instead of reading. Some people just have no patience for non-interactive storytelling when they boot up a game anymore. That usually coincides with their tolerance for Japanese games and Japanese storytelling, so it may be a cultural thing as well.

Michael: There are better ways to communicate story and narrative than taking control away from the player. I'm inclined to cite quick-time events, especially Resident Evil 4's, as I felt that revitalized the trope and made them more exciting for the player.

As a writer, I want people to read my words, but the best narrative in games is often silent. While it's still extremely new, I started playing Bastion before we started this conversation, and I'm already wowed by the way it uses voiceovers to give me information about what's going on around me. A few minutes ago, the narrator told me that the kid had done everything that needed to be doing in this area, so it's time to get going. Three seconds of audio did what 15 seconds of video would have traditionally done.

Paul: Couldn't agree more, Michael. There's room for traditional cinematics in games, and I don't really mind them. But taken alongside other methods, it's no contest. For example, I felt Mass Effect was so cinematic that the actual cinemas added nothing, even though they were extremely well done.

Kate: Honestly, I think the efficacy of cut-scenes depends on too many things to issue a blanket endorsement or condemnation. The trick is that they need to be deployed smartly. Too much straight-up watching time and the player detaches from the sequences she can control.

Paul: I'm also aware that there are people who want to consume games the same way they consume television, movies, or books, but with an added interactive element. Narrative dissonance -- for example, the fact that Nathan Drake is supposed to be a "regular joe" but slaughters thousands of people over the course of two games -- isn't distracting for them at all.

Lasse: I'm definitely in the camp that is glad to watch video-game cut-scenes go extinct. They used to serve a purpose as video games tried to find ways to tell more compelling and epic narratives. But ultimately, they just became a gameplay incentive. I can remember playing Command and Conquer: Red Alert and wanting to beat a level so badly just so I could watch the next cut-scene. I wanted to forgo gameplay to watch a terribly acted short video.

If games want to truly evolve and unlock their narrative potential, they should focus on finding ways to deliver story without taking control from the player.

Next: The panel discusses ludonarrative dissonance and the use of dialogue in games.