Control Panel Regrets....?

[Oldskool]

I'm continuing to gather as much info before I decide on my final CP design.

Any regrets out there?

Over crowding?

Do's and don'ts?

Thanks in advance.

[Santoro]

I'm continuing to gather as much info before I decide on my final CP design.

Any regrets out there?

Over crowding?

Do's and don'ts?

Thanks in advance.

Mine is here:

http://www.mamenation.com/Cabinet/control_panel.htm

Some would say mine is too crowded, and others would say you need 4 players.  It is a matter of what you will play.

After a few months of use by myself and my kids, I think mine is almost perfect with one small exception:  In retrospect, I should have had a 3rd joystick for dedicated 4-way use.  

Also, the shelf design is no good for bowling and golf games.  That is not a problem for me though as I stick to the 80's classics.

If you know how to use a router, I would definitely use it to make the mounting plates recessed as I did.  It makes the panel look simpler IMHO.  I also routed the underside of my 3/4" panel so the joysticks were not too low.

Many don't like dedicated administrative buttons to be visible, but I think my 4 work out extremely well. (I have esc, enter, mouse left, mouse right.)

I have yet to use more than 4 buttons per player  on any given mame game, but I might run PC games someday so I thought a few extras would be OK.  

The design and customization is half the battle and half of the fun. Enjoy.

[eightbit]

Instead of doing a dedicated 4 way there are some new 4/8 way switchable joystick options available now. I already ordered some for my next panel.

[SirPoonga]

raised shelves behind a tball = bad

[Lilwolf]

Oh yeah... lots!  

1) Dont' spend too much time making your control panel look nice until you like it.  A piece of wood is cheap...  Most of my control panels are blank wook for months before I put Vinyl on it.

personally, I have hotswappable control panel.  So I have 'issues' with many of them.

Recent ones..

Trackball had 4 buttons layed out in a square.... I wish I did 3 in a row since missile command...  Also, I don't think I CAN use all four in any trackball game....  IE, I made it without thinking what I would play it with.

My 2 player fighter CP has 7 buttons (4 on bottom, and 3 on top).  I wish that the 4th / extra button was on the left and a little lower (for thumb) then on the right.  Would help mortal kombat run button... But I haven't tested how that would work with NeoGeo games...

Other things to note.  You need a LOT of space around a trackball to get a good swing on it.  

Don't overpopulate it.  You might make some controls just down right unplayable.

If you have a 4player CP.  Try (but you might not succeed) in making the joysticks light up  so that you can play 2 player smashtv and/or total carnage... Then also try to get the center two joysticks so that you can play 1player in the middle..

[Santoro]

Instead of doing a dedicated 4 way there are some new 4/8 way switchable joystick options available now. I already ordered some for my next panel.

I am waiting for some reviews, but i agree that this might be the best way for me to fix my problem without redoing the CP.  I really like it just as it is.

And SirPoonga, I would like to take exception to your comment - raised shelves are only bad if you are going to play games that they impede.

Really, the rule is this -

Control Panel without holder for your beer = bad.

 

[STL_Steve]

Don't put too much space between your buttons.  Especially if you like fighting games. 1.5" on center at the most.    
   
Don't put a third dedicated joystick if you don't have too.  The placement isn't great when you have that one odd joystick hanging out there.  I would suggest a 4/8 way switch if you can do it.  This is just my opinion though, there is no real drawbacks except personal prefrence.  
   
Do make sure you have the angle of the CP so that it's comfortable for you and/or the primary users.  More angle is bad for tall people, unless you have hinged wrists.    
   
Don't mount spinner right above trackball so when you play golden tee, you injure yourself.    

Do enjoy yourself and remember, you can always make another one if this one doesn't turn out.  

[SirPoonga]

And SirPoonga, I would like to take exception to your comment - raised shelves are only bad if you are going to play games that they impede.

Yep, which is 60% of the tball games.

[grafixmonkey]

Regrets:    (see panel on WWW page)

Made two side joysticks angled.  Wish I'd left 'em straight.

Put the panel at too sharp an angle.  (11 or 12 degrees.  too steep.  hands hurt after mad gaming frenzies.)

Used Happ Super 8 joysticks.  Why are those recommended in the FAQ?    Throw is too long, stick is too long unless you mount it below the wood which I didn't, and all directions are far too sensitive especially angles.   Switch turns on at the X:  
<full left>------------X---  <Center> ---X------------<full right>
And they have no damping friction.  Push them a direction and let go, and they come back and hit the opposite direction.

P1, P2 panel buttons not layed out well for playing beatmania.


And the biggest regret of all.....
Didn't get the machine finished in time to have a big party at my college apartment before I had to move out of it.    

[Oldskool]

Here's my first draft of a cp.

The two red dots are joys. (4/8 way switchable) They're good for two player games, and two joy games.

The black dots are buttons set up for Defender.

The green dots are buttons for the right joy

There should be enough buttons for all of the games I'm interested in. (Classic games / no fighters)

The big black thingy in the middle is obviously a trackball.

I still have to place the spinner.

Suggestions?

[SirPoonga]

I'd go with 4 buttons per player.  There ar alot of good neogeo games.  Though most of the neogeo don't use all 4 buttons.

[Jakobud]

I have to say that personally if I had to do my CP again I'd lose the spinner and just stick with my trackball.

[SirPoonga]

I'm planning on going modular.  Though I'd keep the CP I have now, the second CP will be modular for steering wheels, dual joys and triggersticks, etc...
It will have a dedicated 4 way stick and 4 button.  These will most likely be small.  They will be for FE navigation.  I "might" put it on my shelf if I find the right equipment.

[paigeoliver]

I have no regrets about my Amazing Maze control panel (two rebuilt Wico leaf sticks with new handles, and buttons in the streetfighter layout). It is perfect.

I wish the two fire buttons were not stacked one on top of each other on my Space Firebird, but then I did not design that, Sega did.

I wish the trackball wasn't butted right up a quarter of an inch from the glass on my Tournament Solitaire (especially since the panel is freaking huge). But once again, I didn't design that, Dynamo did.

Thats about it.

[Luxury]

i wish i had swapable panels.  i opted for a 4 player panel, and love it, but every once in a while crave a spinner or trackball game.  i opted to keep it clean and uncluttered instead.  

but my one serious wish is that i hadn't angled player 3 and 4 joysticks.  luckily, i originally had 4 angled (far left), but couldnt close the lid, so i straightened it and now it closes. so in the end, only player 3 is at an angle, and just feels awkward.  i plan on fixing it sometime in the future though.

[grafixmonkey]

If you're getting a spinner, I have to assume you're gonna want to play Tron.  So, I'd suggest getting a top-fire-button joystick on the right, and putting the spinner just about anywhere between the joysticks that it doesn't interfere with rolling the trackball.  The spinner is so symmetrical that you can really hold you hands in any configuration and still use it comfortably.

Though Jakobud has a point about using the trackball.  It almost has a better action on some games than the spinner.  

And make sure you get a spinner that has some friction to it!  The "Spins forever and ever and ever" effect might be cool, but it doesn't play well.  Every time I release my spinner knob, it seems to pick up a little kick from the last finger that leaves it, and drifts in one direction for a good 4 seconds or more.

[RetroBorg]

I have to say that personally if I had to do my CP again I'd lose the spinner and just stick with my trackball.

How would you play Tempest with a trackball?
Is it possible or is Tempest a game that you could live without?

[Sasquatch!]

I have to say that personally if I had to do my CP again I'd lose the spinner and just stick with my trackball.

How would you play Tempest with a trackball?
Is it possible or is Tempest a game that you could live without?

BLASPHEMY!

My big regret with the Arcade Paradise 2 cabinet is that I didn't slant the CP at an angle.  I really wish that I did.

[Rocky]

How would you play Tempest with a trackball?
Is it possible or is Tempest a game that you could live without?

Yes, you can play tempest with a trackball. just move the tball side to side. Although, it isn't the same as using a spinner.  It loses a lot.

No, you can't live without Tempest  

[namzep]

And, who could live without Arkanoid, Breakout, Arkanoid ROD, etc.?  To me, you have to have a spinner just for these three games.  

[Jakobud]

When I play games that require a spinner I find myself more often that not reaching for my trackball rather than the spinner.  I dunno why.

[Sprucemoose]

I know many will disagree, but I would put 6 buttons for each person.  Unless you are positive that your friends will not want to play fighters.  Everytime people come over that is one genre of game that get played without fail.  

[JamIt]

I'd invest in a 'real' trackball.  My comp-usa hack has held up over the 4 years, but I just can't wack it (the trackball) like I want.

[grafixmonkey]

Translucent trackballs look really cool when they're lit up.  (just so you know that)

And, I wonder if you guys who favor the trackball for those games are attracted to it because your spinners spin too freely, like mine does?  I find Tempest very tricky to control with the Tornado spinner I have.  Frequently kill myself on spikes because I let go and it gets that little bit of accidental drift.  

I think I remember the arcade Tempest spinner letting your ship do maybe 6 or 7 loops around the track if you spin it and let go.  The Tornado spinner gives you more like 90 to 150 loops.  (or it would if you didn't die.)