What assignment order do people prefer for the "standard six" button layout?

[Xochi]

On my CP, I've got the standard 'Street Fighter' block of six buttons (as well as a couple of peripheral ones). I noticed in another thread, a lot of folks seem to be using:

1 2 3
4 5 6

Whereas, I was planning on using:

4 5 6
1 2 3

(Sort of like the old Genesis 6 buttion layout). I was thinking this layout might have the most frequently used 1 & 2 buttons in a more convenient spot since they have nothing underneath.

Do most people prefer the other layout? I know it's mostly personal preference and remappable, but I'm just wondering what folks see as pros and cons to one order or the other before I start the actual wiring.

I assume I'll have to remap the Street Fighter games if I go with the 2nd layout... Is there any way to remap a block of games at once in MAME if I do?

Thanks for any tips/input.

[AlanS17]

Well people in English (and probably most non-Asian)speaking cultures read left to right and top to bottom. This makes the top left corner a natural reaction for anybody that has never played your machine before.

In addition, you would have to reprogram any game with more than 3 buttons if you want it to feel right. I would go with:

123
456

However, using NeoGeo buttons configurations would complicate this, but I don't see you using one. You could probably make it work by lebeling it well if you decided to put the 1,2,3 on the bottom, but then it would just confuse people when they try to play games with more than 3 buttons cuz then everything would be reversed, anyways.

[MiKman]

You know I never really thought about it when I wired up my first control panel.  Now I just checked and mine is wired as follows (for both player 1 & 2)

4 5 6
1 2 3

and I never had any problems, I think when I did it I thought like you that it was the smarter way to do it as one of the games I play frequently is track & field and you play with 3 buttons (1,2,3) and it works way better if you have nothing underneath it.

Now with my new control panel I want to incorporate the neo-geo into the mix and I really don't know the best way to wire it up now, not sure if you plan on using the neo-geo layout as well or not...

1 2 3 4
5 6 7

5 6 7
1 2 3 4

MiKman

[AlanS17]

It seems like alot of people want to use 7 individual buttons for a NeoGeo layout when it is totally unnecessary. You could do something like

1234
456
(my preference)

or...

456
1234

It means you have a repeat button, but there is no more reprogramming involved. Plus it gives a more natural feel to all your 4-player games. Lots of people get picky about haveint their "NeoGeo" button in the bottom row, but you don't have to. This works:

    2  3  4
1  5  6
4

This throws an ergonomic curve onto the whole button layout while still preserving the SF layout and the NeoGeo layout.

[MiKman]

On my CP, I've got the standard 'Street Fighter' block of six buttons (as well as a couple of peripheral ones). I noticed in another thread, a lot of folks seem to be using:

1 2 3
4 5 6

Whereas, I was planning on using:

4 5 6
1 2 3

(Sort of like the old Genesis 6 buttion layout). I was thinking this layout might have the most frequently used 1 & 2 buttons in a more convenient spot since they have nothing underneath.

Do most people prefer the other layout? I know it's mostly personal preference and remappable, but I'm just wondering what folks see as pros and cons to one order or the other before I start the actual wiring.

I assume I'll have to remap the Street Fighter games if I go with the 2nd layout... Is there any way to remap a block of games at once in MAME if I do?

Thanks for any tips/input.

Ok after a bit of digging I really don't think you want you buttons 123 on the top row for the simple fact that 3 button (or less games) you will have a row of buttons under your palm and I personally think that this would suck.

So here is what I can figure is the best:

1) Street Fighter Style
123
456
x

2) NegGeo
xxx
234
1

3) Classic or (less than 4 buttons)
xxx
123
x

And than the wiring:

123        456
456  or  123
1              4


And I agree with Alan you don't need to map an extra button for the 4th neo geo... just wire it up with the other 4th button, to make it easier.

[tmasman]

I currently have a CP box I built as a prototype for my layout & it is laid out like the top set in the attached image. I don't even notice the buttons below my hand because my fingers arch right over them.
However I am thinking of shifting the lower buttons like the lower layout in the image. I'm thinking this might ba a suitable compromise to get close to a NEO-Geo layout & SF layout. I'll have to put it on wood & test it out to see if it works out though.

Just my 2

[Howard_Casto]

The voice of experience says:  

Never ever ever put the first three buttons on the top.  There are a slew of reasons, but the #1 one is, as the others stated, you have a handful of useless buttons at your plam when you play 3 button games.  

Hope that helps

[Daver4676]

Building on what Howard said in his post:  if I had never seen or played an arcade game before, the first button I would instinctively go to is button closest to the joystick.  In case of a tie it's either the lowest button near the joystick followed by the leftmost.

Going to the Playstation controller as another example, when I don't know what button to press I always instinctively go for the X button.  If that doesn't work, I slap the square button next.  Matter of fact, while playing Metal Gear Solid I would always stumble on the menus because I always press X first (which is used in that game to back up a screen).  

[Xochi]

Wow. Thanks for all the feedback and ideas folks.  I'm thinking I'll go ahead and stick with my original layout since I play a lot of 80's games that have three buttons or less and the no buttons below feature will probably outweigh any disadvantages for me. I was just wondering if there was some really compelling reason I hadn't thought of...

I suppose I will just remap for SF and NeoGeo (I have a button "7" on the bottom row that I didn't  show for simplicity that I was planning to use for the NG stuff). I had sort of expected to do that anyway, I guess. I figured the NeoGeo stuff wasn't as big a deal since I could do a neogeo.ini and remap everything all at once for it.  I am an SF fan so I want those games to play like the arcade.

[said7]

I am wiring my CP as well and I have a seven button neo geo setup.

I was thinking to wire like this

  516
1234

That way i can play Neo geo regular, the classics with the bottom 3, Street fighter standard, and Mortal kombat 3 standard setup with 1 being the run button. Plus i wont be losing a button on the ipac by repeating the 1.

What you think of this?

[Frostillicus]

I am wiring my CP as well and I have a seven button neo geo setup.

I was thinking to wire like this

  516
1234

That way i can play Neo geo regular, the classics with the bottom 3, Street fighter standard, and Mortal kombat 3 standard setup with 1 being the run button. Plus i wont be losing a button on the ipac by repeating the 1.

What you think of this?

Seems a little odd.  Why don't you just use ctrlr files to remap the controls?   That's actually the most flexible.

[AlanS17]

It is rather unusual... I hope you really like MK3... Like I hope it's your FAVORITE games cuz it's gonan make all the toher kinda wierd...

Would it really hurt to leave like:

123
456

... and then just remap your run so that it's in the top center and you have block in bottom center? That's 1 button of 1 game out of place in exchange for having all your other games play well...

[Howard_Casto]

I think he means

456
123

As several of us have stated before, putting the first three buttons on the top is a bad idea.  

Also you need to have the 1 button be the first in the standard sf layout.  95% of all games in mame comform to the sf layout in some way.  Although for games with les than 5 buttons it doens't make much diff, for your fighters your going to have to remap everything, which isn't easily done, even with controller files.  

[Sasquatch!]

As several of us have stated before, putting the first three buttons on the top is a bad idea.  

I have my first three buttons on the top row, and I like it so NYAH to you!

Seriously though, I'm going to whip out my favorite piece of advice: It's all about what feels right to YOU.  

[Howard_Casto]

As several of us have stated before, putting the first three buttons on the top is a bad idea.  

I have my first three buttons on the top row, and I like it so NYAH to you!

Seriously though, I'm going to whip out my favorite piece of advice: It's all about what feels right to YOU.  

Actually that's not true in this case.....  if you have the neogeo button as #1 then all street fighter games are going to have to be remapped.  That's 80+ games plus countless 6 button fighter clones on other systems.  

[Frostillicus]

As several of us have stated before, putting the first three buttons on the top is a bad idea.  

I have my first three buttons on the top row, and I like it so NYAH to you!

Seriously though, I'm going to whip out my favorite piece of advice: It's all about what feels right to YOU.  

True-  but it's also about what is intuitive to non-mame-savvy friends/nephews/nieces/etc who just walk up and start playing.  It should have some sense of logic to it, or at least numbered somewhere if it's a weird layout.

[said7]

Let me clarify a little...

heres my idea

  516
1234

As that stands as the default layout it will naturally work with all the classics and neo geo.
Especially being that i dont wont to use the top row as the primary row.

This means i would have to make 2 controller setups

1:  for Streetfighter and fighting games.

5(P) 1(P) 6(P)
2(K) 3(K) 4(K)

It would be ok that the one is repeated cause the thumb wouldnt be used.

2:  Mortal Kombat

            5(HP)  1(R)  6(HK)
1(R)     2(LP)   3(B)  4(LK)

Work fine for all MK games.

This setup means that ive only have to make 2 profiles to assign.
How does that sound now?

I figure if i did

123
456

Id still have to make a profile for NEO GEO and i wouldnt have the buttons on the bottom by default.

Let me know what you guys think.