Once again, about buttons

[CheffoJeffo]

In a PM that I received related to this thread (from someone who has posted regarding authenticity), I was told that Wico sticks are not authentic arcade equipment.

Maybe I really don't know as much as I think I do.

 

[Hoopz]

In a PM that I received related to this thread (from someone who has posted regarding authenticity), I was told that Wico sticks are not authentic arcade equipment.

Maybe I really don't know as much as I think I do.

 

Are they broken like Nintendo sticks break?

[CheffoJeffo]

I am putting the cost of this keyboard on your tab (I missed the monitor)!

 

[unska]

So will this suffice:

player 1
- u360
- 8 buttons for playing
- 1 player button
- coin button

player 2
- u360
- 8 buttons playing
- 2 player button
- coin button

admin
- pause / play button
- exit button
- save button
- load button

pinball
- 4 buttons

other
- ipac 2

And like 2 extra buttons for spare parts.

[Rick]

So will this suffice:

player 1
- u360
- 8 buttons for playing
- 1 player button
- coin button

player 2
- u360
- 8 buttons playing
- 2 player button
- coin button

admin
- pause / play button
- exit button
- save button
- load button

pinball
- 4 buttons

other
- ipac 2

And like 2 extra buttons for spare parts.

It looks good to me (but I'm new, too) so here's my Q.  When you hit "load" or "save", are there any other admin functions NOT provided by the existing buttons or joysticks?  Say, the "Enter" key, perhaps?

[Hoopz]

A lot of the admin functions can be handled by the "shift" function on the I-Pac.  Load/Save/Enter may not need dedicated buttons.  The same goes for Vol up/down, pause, and a few others.  A lot depends on your needs, the space on the CP and the desire to have everything easy for guests or first timers.

I think the list looks fine.  More than I have but it's what your comfortable with.  I don't see anything that you are leaving off that you absolutely must have.

[Rick]

A lot of the admin functions can be handled by the "shift" function on the I-Pac.  Load/Save/Enter may not need dedicated buttons.  The same goes for Vol up/down, pause, and a few others.  A lot depends on your needs, the space on the CP and the desire to have everything easy for guests or first timers.

That's what I'm concerned with.  Personally, I don't want to double-map any button to 'shift' if I don't have to (i.e. "Hey Steve, press and hold Player 1 Button 1, and then move the Player 1 Joystick down and to the left to lower the volume, would ya?") and would like to keep mine pretty simple.

[Hoopz]

A lot of the admin functions can be handled by the "shift" function on the I-Pac.  Load/Save/Enter may not need dedicated buttons.  The same goes for Vol up/down, pause, and a few others.  A lot depends on your needs, the space on the CP and the desire to have everything easy for guests or first timers.

That's what I'm concerned with.  Personally, I don't want to double-map any button to 'shift' if I don't have to (i.e. "Hey Steve, press and hold Player 1 Button 1, and then move the Player 1 Joystick down and to the left to lower the volume, would ya?") and would like to keep mine pretty simple.

There's a need for balance between simple and not cluttered.  You can have a zillion admin buttons and everything is easy to use but then you have a lot of buttons on the cp.  You can use shifted buttons which eliminates buttons but then it's a learning curve for everyone.

I keep a keyboard connected and stashed in the cabinet for some things.  Others, I go with shifted.  Turns out, I dont use the shifted buttons very much so it's not a big deal.  Again, it's what makes you happy. 

And you may find that once you've built it and played for a few months that you have a list of things to change.  Add this and take this out etc.  Hence, cabinet #2 (aka the divorce causing cabinet!).   

[Rick]

There's a need for balance between simple and not cluttered.

Agreed.

My personal point of view (sorry for the threadjack, but maybe the OP will have more questions - or better still, answers - when I'm done) is that I'm going to have Maximus Arcade loaded, and for now, just the MAME emulator loaded up.  While I wouldn't need the "Home" key mapped, I hope to have a button for that.  (I believe many people use the "Lists" decal for that one, but I might be wrong.)  If I add any other Emulators, I'm praying that they should work with the buttons I'm including - but if there's one I'm definitely missing, I'd appreciate the feedback.  That's button one on my Admin Panel.  From there, I was going to have "Esc" mapped as button two, "Enter" mapped as button three, and then a large blank space, and "Pause" mapped as button four and then five and six will be "Volume Up" and "Volume Down", respectively.

I believe that this is the 'balance' that would make it easy for anyone to use the games installed, and also without looking too cluttered.  Six buttons across a dedicated panel of two feet should still be pretty easy on the eyes.

[Hoopz]

At the risk of further hijacking this thread, here's one example of buttons gone wild.

And the obligatory link to crapmame that will make some laugh while offending others.  NSFW language on that link...

http://wickedretarded.com/~crapmame/

[jimmy2x2x]

There's a need for balance between simple and not cluttered.

Agreed.

My personal point of view (sorry for the threadjack, but maybe the OP will have more questions - or better still, answers - when I'm done) is that I'm going to have Maximus Arcade loaded, and for now, just the MAME emulator loaded up.  While I wouldn't need the "Home" key mapped, I hope to have a button for that.  (I believe many people use the "Lists" decal for that one, but I might be wrong.)  If I add any other Emulators, I'm praying that they should work with the buttons I'm including - but if there's one I'm definitely missing, I'd appreciate the feedback.  That's button one on my Admin Panel.  From there, I was going to have "Esc" mapped as button two, "Enter" mapped as button three, and then a large blank space, and "Pause" mapped as button four and then five and six will be "Volume Up" and "Volume Down", respectively.

I believe that this is the 'balance' that would make it easy for anyone to use the games installed, and also without looking too cluttered.  Six buttons across a dedicated panel of two feet should still be pretty easy on the eyes.

Im planning on similar functionality using Maximus.

I have the Enter mapped as player 1, button 1.
I have a separate pause button, which when held down for 3 seconds will exit the current emulator

This could take 2 buttons off your CP without resorting to shifted functions, but you are right its a fine balance between overwhelming guests with an army of buttons or confusing them with shifted buttons.

[Rick]

This could take 2 buttons off your CP without resorting to shifted functions, but you are right its a fine balance between overwhelming guests with an army of buttons or confusing them with shifted buttons.

I have a confession:  I lied about the guests thing.  I don't have any friends. 

Actually, what I do have is a 9 year old who likes video games and a 3 year old who likes to wake Daddy up at 5:30 a.m. every... single... morning... even on weekends.  So, I figure if I can teach them to pound buttons, I can retire to the couch and let them play nice and simple video games until I'm ready to wake up - or until my Wife wakes up and finds out I haven't fed them yet.  (Actually, that's one of my main considerations on building my own cab.  The simplicity of some of the older games.  My 3 year old plays our original XBOX and loves playing "The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer" and I'm surprised at how damn tough these newer games can be.  I'm going to load up the classics, where you have a joystick to move and a button to jump or shoot, and let them have at it.  Nice and simple.)

 

[Ginsu Victim]

I'm going to load up the classics, where you have a joystick to move and a button to jump or shoot, and let them have at it.  Nice and simple.)

 

If there's one word that doesn't apply to the classics, it's "simple." Check out the competitions we've been having, and you'll find 50 examples.

[saint]

Thread partially trimmed and put back(?) on course...

[Ginsu Victim]

Cheers. 

[WhereEaglesDare]

Thread partially trimmed and put back(?) on course...

Wow how can one guy be so dense?!  I just read this when I saw a normal everyday 7 button thread goto 3 pages?!  And then there was a whole second thread about this thread!  That guy has issues...  and Gunsu, I don't care where you put your 7th button...    you can put it on the other side of the joystick if you want...

[unska]

There's a need for balance between simple and not cluttered.

Agreed.

My personal point of view (sorry for the threadjack, but maybe the OP will have more questions - or better still, answers - when I'm done) is that I'm going to have Maximus Arcade loaded, and for now, just the MAME emulator loaded up.  While I wouldn't need the "Home" key mapped, I hope to have a button for that.  (I believe many people use the "Lists" decal for that one, but I might be wrong.)  If I add any other Emulators, I'm praying that they should work with the buttons I'm including - but if there's one I'm definitely missing, I'd appreciate the feedback.  That's button one on my Admin Panel.  From there, I was going to have "Esc" mapped as button two, "Enter" mapped as button three, and then a large blank space, and "Pause" mapped as button four and then five and six will be "Volume Up" and "Volume Down", respectively.

I believe that this is the 'balance' that would make it easy for anyone to use the games installed, and also without looking too cluttered.  Six buttons across a dedicated panel of two feet should still be pretty easy on the eyes.

Good ideas!

Im planning on similar functionality using Maximus.

I have the Enter mapped as player 1, button 1.
I have a separate pause button, which when held down for 3 seconds will exit the current emulator

This could take 2 buttons off your CP without resorting to shifted functions, but you are right its a fine balance between overwhelming guests with an army of buttons or confusing them with shifted buttons.

[unska]

Just to be on the safe side, this is what I've ended up. I figured it's enough (most will think it's too much I bet):

Player 1:

- u360
- 8 buttons for playing
- Coin button
- 1 Player button

Player 2:

- u360
- 8 buttons for playing
- Coin button
- 2 Player button

Admin:

- Enter button
- Pause button
- Menu button
- Escape button
- Load button
- Save button

Pinball:
- 4 buttons for playing, 2 on each side.

Ipac 2

How do you recommend me to change between different save slots?

[jimmy2x2x]

Change save slots by using p1/p2 start/coin buttons

Or any other buttons that give you a alpha numeric character