Typical beginning (long time lurker; big fan blah blah blah)
Premature posting I know
Haven't even ordered anything yet
Looking for feedback and help before ordering anything...
New member/poster/builder - I hope this is the right place and method- please advise otherwise
(I apologize ahead of time for this stream of consciousness posting -- I'll fix it up as time goes on -- thanks for looking and for any feedback!!!)
[thanks for the comments below! -- I will attempt to structure this a little better and to answer some of my own questions -- I'm aware that this is only a tiny bit better now! Sorry]
Goal: 2 player arcade cabinet to play mostly 70's/80's/90's arcade games. Also interested in early console emulation. Eventually would like to be able to also play more modern games too (upgrade pi to PC later is my thinking)
Get a RPi. Easy to install and works well for your need (up to 16 bit emulation easily). Upgrade to PC only if you want to go up higher.
----
CABINET:
I'm leaning towards a bartop with a matching/removeable floor standing base --- I would like to have the full size cabinet "feel" - but with the flexibility of loading it into a car or moving it between floors of my home etc (heavy tho I bet)
I'm planning on ordering a kit from Haruman (widescreen 24" bartop - evo xr2)
I would love to one day do all of my own woodworking and make a nice big 4 player stand up cabinet.
-but For this first "build" I will avoid woodworking and focus on all other challenges
**QUESTION 1 --- *I intend to get vinyl art for the cab --- I'm wondering if I should consider birch ply instead of white melamine -- for the weight savings (once covered in art and tmolding can you even tell what the material is unless you try to move it??)
You answer your own question I believe. Depends if you want to move it (a lot) and if you cover it entirely.
----
CONTROLS:
Ultimarc buttons and joysticks (seems super pricey but they seem great- I definitely(??) want old school concave clicky buttons - advice???)
Ultimate IPAC ultimate IO I suppose
Rgb classic buttons (ultimarc)
Servo stick player1 (rgb)
Matching(?) sanwa(?) non motorized stick- with rgb shaft - for player2 (ultimarc j-stick?)
Why not two servo sticks? Does it cost that much more? The control board serves two sticks.
I'm new to all this -- I remember the old sticks in street fighter 2 - I never loved them ... Newer sanwa jlw sticks (ultimarc) I hope I'll like better -- any advice??
2 pinball buttons each side(?)
Add trackball centered on control panel and as close to front as possible
**QUESTION 2 -- is adding a spinner going to make it too crowded??
Depends on the size of your control panel. In my intended cab it would be too crowdy, but I've seen quite a few that could handle it. Make a cardboard concept of your intended control panel and draw the controls on it (if you don't have them already).
--Add spinner centered in back - perhaps off centered and above the player 2 buttons towards the top right of the control panel?? (I'm thinking if centered as I'd prefer visually -- it would perhaps be in the way of trackball throw)
I really hope not -- but -- is this too crowded (apparently control panel is 27.65" wide on this Haruman model) -- I know purists will of course say yes --- but what about from those that like this sort of thing and have experience using/owning it??)
QUESTION 3 - Straight vs curved button layout? 6 buttons? 7? 8? I've done some research on this and I probably shouldn't ask but I am anyway -- I remember it being straight layout (I'm 40 years old now) --- but it seems that curved is more natural - and it seems to make sense to me - so fine -- curved I guess??
You could try it out the layout when you ordered the controls. I believe most people prefer curved for mame. 6 buttons will do for most mame games. Emulation till 16 bit as well I guess.
**I went on a field trip yesterday -- a decent retro arcade -- very glad I did -- I'm not sure what questions were answered tho -- I feel both more confused and more confident
It seems a 7th button would be useful (bottom left of the 6 button layout -- the "neo geo layout"
Name one NEO GEO game (that uses 7 buttons) you want to play...
----
ADMIN
Admin buttons - (advice here please?)
2 rectangular coin insert buttons from ggg(?) on front panel
Was thinking amp cutout on front panel but too ugly and unnecessary correct?
Other admin buttons at top of control panel (??)
I'd love smaller buttons (18/20mm??) - do these exist?? Matching concave rgb buttons? Do I want concave for these?? Maybe no so I can put in labels? Or labeled only on vinyl on control panel art?? Also perhaps these should always be dark and therefore don't need rgb/led --- Help??)
I've been playing around with mame (and other emulators including the latest) and front ends since the super early days of emulation but I have no experience using mame/emulators with a dedicated cabinet intended also for guests - not sure about admin buttons - how many? Which ones? Don't want to confuse guests but I don't want them messing stuff up either -- what's a good balance???
QUESTION 4 --- is this a good amount of admin buttons?? --
1. Pause/exit (hold 3 seconds)
2. Save
3. Load
4. Player1 start
5. Player2 start
(And 2 coin buttons)
RetroPie doesn't need all those buttons. Start/select (per player) is enough. The select button acts like a hotkey. Check
https://github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup/wiki/Controller-Configuration (bottom) for hotkey config.
----
Project Name needs work maybe... Wanted to squeeze in the word "infinity" somehow
----
ART:
Artwork unknown - I think a 70s/early 80s look - simple - maybe kinda white with a little black (as opposed to the more traditional mostly black cabinet?? Maybe kinda like galaga or centipede mostly white cabs?)
(The fact that the rgb buttons are white when "off" seems important to consider)
Vinyl Graphics - I'll design them - but printing source unknown
----
SYSTEM:
Computer - unknown
Probably start off with an rpi -- 95% of the games I think I want to play are older arcade games and some older game consoles. However some newer systems and games would be fun too -- so maybe later upgrade to a decent PC (my concern tho is -- I don't want to spend endless hours configuring the system twice -- so I may decide to just bite the bullet on a real PC before I begin)
----
More thoughts as I think of them
I'll delete this if I'm just too premature or otherwise lame or boring
All feedback welcome
Thanks!!
Good luck with planning. And make sure you read a lot of threads in the project announcement section for inspiration:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/board,10.0.html