Classic CP Critique Needed - Design Revised (And in Draft)

[Necro]

Need a critique of a layout I'm debating using.  And possible mods to it.  



That's the layout.  Here's the situation
- I can do 2 classic panels if I want.
- I have an Arkanoid, an Oscar Vortex, and 3(!) OmegaRace spinners (but no way to interface the OmegaRace's to a PC I don't think) - I'd like the Oscar and Arkanoid each to be on at least ONE CP as there's a huge difference in their feel and I love Arkanoid.
- I'd like to have a dedicated 4 way on the classic.
- I don't care about 2 player 'side by side' on the classic (Should I?  Are there any simultaneous old school games that my fighter CP wouldn't handle?)
- I have 2 U360's.  I was going to put both on my fighter CP - HOWEVER - I'm up for moving one (the 2p one) to this and replacing it with an 8-way if it would make controls 'work' better.

Here are the questions:
- Thoughts on double spinner placements on the above layout?
- Buttons: Good?  Less?  More?
- Joysticks: 8 ways?  (See situation above - I'm not buying anymore U360's at this point).
- Opinions on a third layout being a dedicated 4 way and dedicated 2 way?  (If so, how does that change my needs for the above panel?)
- What layout am I missing?  

Note that short of a 1.5" trackball, which I am pricing out now, I can't do a trackball in this cab because of depth/angle issues relating to swapping the CPs.  So....spinners, joys and buttons are the ingredients.  Also, I am willing to buy an interface card for the OmegaRace spinner (and would like to have a working OmegaRace CP as the third CP) if it's possible.  Haven't seen any hacks for the POT based spinner yet though.

Your input is requested sooner rather than later - I'm tired of hemming and hawing and I want this cab finished by the end of this month.  ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---, I already think I'm up for a longest active member that can't finish a damn cab award. :/


Oh...few more 'complications':
- I have two flight sticks I can jury-rig mounts for (they aren't tron sticks, but...they'll work at this point).
- I'm willing to buy a Push/Pull Spinner.
- Assume I'll spend whatever on controls - except for the noted buying more U360's - to get this done.  Embarrassment at not finishing it is overcoming thriftiness.

[VanillaGorilla]

Love it so far. Only thing I question is what is your 'escape' plan? IE - how do you leave one game and select another? I see pause (which I think is unnecessary) but no exit. I would use the vortex. arkanoid is do-able  with a vortex, tempest sucks with an arkanoid (not to mention blasteroids, which I love). I would re-purpose the u360 without a doubt. put it in the p1 position, leave the 8-way in p2 and you have almost a perfect solution. in fact, I think u360's kinda stink for fighters. A sanwa is a much better stick for fighting. My favorite control panel design I've seen in many moons on here. Good job, at least your time here was well spent, you've distilled your research into a really nice layout. Too bad about the trackball tho

[Nephasth]

I think u360's kinda stink for fighters.

Reason being?

[VanillaGorilla]

Well, 'stink' might be too strong a word. I find that with the circular restrictor, they dont work well for fighters. Tough to find corners for moves requiring a 'roll' of the joystick. I prefer a stick with a box or octagon style restrictor for fighters. You can use that type of restrictor with a u360, but I think you sacrifice a lot of the versatility that the stick is designed for when you use anything but the round restrictor. The return to center characteristics of the u360 I find lacking as well with fighter type games.

I suppose if you tweak the maps enough, and use the square or octagonal restrictor you could dial them in to some degree, but I think its more cost effective to buy a $10 Zippy, or a $20 sanwa which performs out of the box as expected, and feels exactly like the original equipment used on most modern fighter games, as opposed to the $90 you end up spending on a u360 when its all said and done.

Its not so much that I think you CANT play fighters with them, I just think it's strengths lie elsewhere, namely classic emulation with the various on the fly mappings. Since he has a dedicated fighter panel, it just makes sense to put a physically restricted 8 way in there. There is no reason to have analog, or 4-way, or rotated 4-way, or 2-way on a fighter panel. Killing a housefly with a sledgehammer in my opinion.

[Nephasth]

I've been debating between a circular and octagonal restrictor for that very reason. Still undecided...

[Necro]

Just to be clear - I didn't design this panel.  Nannuu did (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=16487.0) the design/art from what I understand.  I'm going to tweak a bit to avoid the issues that were had with buttons in that thread/build, but the overall 'design' will remain the same. 

Also - I'd remove the coin and pause buttons.  I have those already in the cab, hidden under the lower marquee as small, 'invisible' buttons - along with a coin button.  Admin buttons are wired up to the actual admin controls of the cab (a switch and a button).

And thanks for the input.

One thing I'm trying to determine is if there are any 'worthwhile games' with two spinners.  I know Blasteroids, but if worst came to worst I think you could 'stick' the second player for the few times it would be played. 

[Necro]

Revised design - draft still.  Limited by the fact that I can't have any controls within 1.5" of the sides, ~1 inch from the bottom, and 0.5 inches from the top.  Fun.  (I'm avoiding the 'make your own short short button' scenario if I can).



Also, there's something screwey with the dimensions on the graphic I originally posted.  It doesn't actually fit on an OmegaRace CP and it seems in the thread I liked the final art was quite different.

[drventure]

In the scaled down version of that artwork, it clearly says "fap" below that purple outlined button 

But I see it's supposed to be FLAP. Makes sense now 

BTW, I love this design!

[Necro]

That's a totally different panel.    And thanks - I'm liking this design aside from a few small tweaks.  I think it works as a classic.

Now I need to design my third 'trackball and other weird stuff' panel.  determining if I can get a tron-like stick somehow for a reasonable price.  May just use a Saitek PT90 and paint it.  Maybe.