racing system?

[BarontheFirst]

Not that I am going to start a racing cabinet but if I do decide I wanted a list of what is compatable with M.A.M.E. if any? The Force RS racing system at Act-Labs looks nice. I would like a setup with the clutch and atleast a five speed shifter. It doesn't have to have force feedback. Hell as far as I know M.A.M.E. doesn't support it yet anyway. Still for future and PC games it might be nice to have. Anyway please give some ideas and feedback on there quality. Also if you have a link to a web page for your favorite racing setup please post it! Thank's in advance!

[Tailgunner]

My PC racing setup consists of a Thomas TSW2 wheel and 3 pedal set, and Act Labs GPL shifter. The GPL shifter is a USB version of their RS shifter, build quality is fair but it's the only game in town if you want a stick shifter that's compatable with other controllers. The Thomas super wheel is somewhat crude compared to most of the PC wheel setups, but it's built more like an arcade controller and you'd be hard pressed to ever wear one out.

http://www.thomas-superwheel.com/

[Lilwolf]

I have the non forced feedback one (9.99... not a bad deal) but I'm having trouble with the pc connection.  The dreamcast is great with it... but I bought on ebay a PDPI L4 connector looks like a gameport... works with some gameports... just not mine...

It's not arcade quality... It looks better then many others... but you can tell that its not super solid (but I would say this with all hope steering wheels.  The shifter in the 9.99 one is a formula one one they say... (under the wheel, both hands can change gears).  It doesn't take long to get used to it... keeps both hands on the wheel... but I would have prefered even a 2 position shifter..

[SNAAAKE]

I highly recomend you use console instead of a PC for racer cab.
PC racers are horrible.
The onces on mame are just total crap compared to modern racers on consoles.
Get the madcatz universal wheel.That thing is the best steering wheel ever !
and console racers are amezing.

gt4,project gotham and couple of others.

[u_rebelscum]

Any controller or combination of controllers should work, with only a few hitches.

1) Mame games with a 2 speed shifter usually have the shift input as a "toggle" input; press once it's low, press again it's high.  This is for ease playing with the keyboard, but is not like the original shifter.  You can either edit the source, or (if the shifter's driver can do it) you can set it to work with the toggle input, and/or remap those game's inputs.

2) You want a 5 speed shifter.  These usually can work as 2 speed shifter (but see above), 4 way shifters, and 5 way shifters in most mame games.  Most PC 4+ speed shifters are either digital if fixed number speeds, or analog if you can can change the number of speeds.  If analog, usually the driver can map each speed to a keyboard button, which is great with mame if the original game was digital.  Most arcade games were digital, but a few were analog (Hard/Race Drivin' sit downs).  These work best with an analog shifter with it's driver set so it does not remap to the keyboard.

3) Pedals come in two "flavors": "combined" and "split".  Most "split" PC pedals (ie: most of the mid to high end ones) have drivers that can change between the two types.  If you build your own, you can add a switch to change between the two (FWIW, looks like the thomas wheel linked prior also can have this switch).  
If the game's driver in mame has the inputs set to "combined" (ie: are called "AD Stick Y"), combined mode is better; split mode will have mame treat the gas as analog and the brake as digital.  
If the game's driver in mame has the inputs set to "split" (ie: are called "pedal", "pedal 2", and/or "P2 pedal"), either mode for the device will be okay, except with combined mode you can't rev the engine with brake on and then release the brake and drop in the clutch with the engine at full RPM.

4) If the pedals each have it's own axis (ie: in split mode), the first half distance of travel will probably not seen by mame.

5) ForceFeedback in not in mame.

6) You might need to remap the inputs for your setup to work perfectly in mame.  I advise testing it using the TAB input first, then copying the settings to the ctrlr ini files, so you only need to do it once.


I have a saitek R100 (w/ combined pedals), and a logitech USB Fomula GP WingMan (w/ split pedals); both work fine with mame.  [shrug]

I'd like to get the act-lab GPL shifter.  I've never used it but it sounds great for mame; it's one of the analog ones with drivers that can map it to keyboard.  But I also want a sit down cab to put it in, so I'll have to wait a little while.

[BarontheFirst]

Well I got an e-mail reply from Act-Labs and there racing system doesn't work with MAME. Oh well but thanks for all the rest of the feedback. As far as the making a racing cab with a game system I do have the GT3 system for the PS2 but it doesn't have a shifter. Now if I can find a nice seperate shifter that works with it I could be ready to go. Guess I can look into it. Kinda don't want to build a limited cab. MAME seemed the way to go but the PS2 wheel does have force feedback. Seems like too much for just GT3 and soon GT4.  Well any more feedback on this subject would be great. Well I have been talking to the wife also and as far as the arcade look and feel goes we both like the Cruising Exotica seat. I saw it over at HAPP and I think I am going to buy it. What do you all think is the best for a racing cab? Thanks in advance.

[u_rebelscum]

Well I got an e-mail reply from Act-Labs and there racing system doesn't work with MAME.

 
They don't know what the they are talking about!

I don't own one, but if it works on the number of games they say it does, it will work in mame.  Not completely of course (the forcefeedback feature "won't work" 'cause mame doesn't do forcefeedback).  

Maybe they translate the points 1, 3, 4, and 5 I talked about above to "It doesn't work".  
I guess there also is that ~45% of the racing games (~75% of the classics) play best with "360 degree" wheels, while the act-lab wheel is a "270 degree" wheel.  
Or maybe it's because using it is not plug and play easy.  (But using ctrlr ini files, it almost is.)

I'll gladly prove act-labs wrong, if someone who owns it will ship it to me.  If they want it back, just pay for that shipping too and I'll send it back with instructions how to set it up.    I'll post that info here, too, of course.

[JustMichael]

I do own an Act Labs RS for Playstation and I am using it on the pc with an adapter from Radio Shack (#260-0304).  It works awesome in Mame and pc games too.  Very well built wheel and pedals.
Simply put, if it works with the pc normally in windows, it will work with Mame (windows).  Set up the wheel and calibrate it in Windows first.  Then you will need to edit the mame.ini file.  Under "### Input device options ###" change  "joystick                0" to "joystick                1".

[BarontheFirst]

Maybe they just don't want to officially say it works with MAME. That or the person didn't know what they were talking about. Still I think I am going to go MAME for the cab even if it doesn't work for everything I am sure there are a few nice PC racing games it will work on. All and all I think this should work out nicely!

[Aceldamor]

I also have the logitech USB Fomula GP WingMan and it works nice with mame...both pedals work well and there is enough buttons on the wheel to accomodate.

[BarontheFirst]

I also have the logitech USB Fomula GP WingMan and it works nice with mame...both pedals work well and there is enough buttons on the wheel to accomodate.

Ya well it is that also. I don't want an extra crap load of buttons all over the wheel. Got to have the seperate shifter it makes all the games more fun. Button pushing sucks!

[Aceldamor]

Well, I was thinking in terms of Spy Hunter.......