So I was one of the ones a few years ago, making lots of plans for franken-panels that would be able to play almost every game out there, but over the years all I can think is more and more how likely the different controls would be to get in each other's ways. So eventually (in the far future), I have to conclude I will need several arcade cabinets to provide everything I want.
But since I have no idea when or if I will ever manage full consoles, I have been thinking about numerous smaller control panels (think along the lines of the X-Arcade tank stick) that could be hooked up to computer and TV to allow the enjoying of various types of games, and thinking about how many set-ups I would need, trying to keep the numbers of controls per controller down. Combined with some things I have read recently, it leads me to some questions about what might work well now that didn't work well a few years ago.
So here's the thing ... I've already got a tank-stick, which is a nice unit to use for a lot of games, but I was still planning to duplicate many of it's features with a few other new ones to increase options ... but wanted to check on current wisdom to see if I even needed to. It used to be the tank stick kind of sucked for games like Pac-Man or Donkey Kong, which used 4 way joysticks instead of 8 way joysticks. But the thing is, I've heard of ever more advances in MAME that might affect how well the 8-way sticks can play 4-way games, so I thought I would ask A) can my tank stick now do a much better job with these games (at least with a little set-up work in MAME?) or B) should I still be planning a new panel with 2 8 way sticks and a 4 way stick? or C) Should I be planning a new panel with 2 eight-way sticks of a particular kind that can be made to function like 4 way sticks, but that the tank stick sticks are not appropriate for?
Second, the tank stick (and other similar control panels I might build) should work fine for -most- games, but there are some games where you use extreme force on a controller, where a free-floating control panel like the tank stick just isn't going to be sturdy enough to handle the treatment ... and you really need the solidity of a full-blown cabinet. But I can't really think of what these games are, at the moment. I think there were track ball games where you'd really whale on the track ball, rather than use it form more precise types of control. Or perhaps the hairpin turn in Pole Position, where frequently you'd massively spin that steering wheel to try and make it around that curve at fairly high speed. What are the controls and games that anyone else can think of that really -need- the full cabinet treatment to be able to function well?
Since I have always been a huge fan of Tron, one of the first control panels I will have to put together is a panel for Tron that will include a spinner and a yoke-ish stick ... but how specific or general do I need to be to be able to use them for multiple games (ie better control of the light beam racing game, vs limited controls for other games, or what limits might a spinner that can provide good game play for Tron and Discs of Tron provide for other spinner/paddle game types, or the possibility of adding a 'clip on' steering wheel?
I'm already pretty certain that I will -someday- (in the far future) build a cabinet for racing games, just to provide a proper shift for games that need it, plus a foot pedal ... but what about games that allow free-spinning steering wheels, vs those that have limited range of spins? Has there been a way found to accommodate both with a single control, or am I either going to be limited to one of two sets of driving games, or building two cabinets, eventually?
Just some thoughts I am pondering as I try to find a quicker way to get more involved in this crazy, wonderful hobby.