What would you do?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to your question.
It depends on the type of build you're doing
and what games you want to play, especially those on your "can't live without" list.
- Protip: If your proposed gamelist is "all of them"
you will fail and there's
nothing we can do to help you.
Before you do anything else, you need to
fully and carefully work through the "What type of build meets my needs?" design process in the FAQ with a detailed focus on step 2.
http://wiki.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/FAQ#What_type_of_build_meets_my_needs.3FThis process will help you refine your focus and consider which options describe what you want to do with your build.
- When you can tell us that, we can give you specific and effective advice on how to achieve your goals.
Y X L
B A R
If I want to wire them to the I-Pac and keep the default MAME keys, the wiring would be this:
1SW4 1SW3 1SW5
1SW1 1SW2 1SW6
This layout is primarily for a console-centric build.
Generally speaking, console games are better played sitting on a couch rather than standing in front of an arcade-style cab.
1SW1 1SW2 1SW3
1SW4 1SW5 1SW6
And configure the I-PAC and switch the key pressed (1SW1=SHIFT instead of CTRL, 1SW2=SPACE instead of ALT, etc etc)? Or should I reconfigure MAME (Y = CTRL instead of SHIFT, X = ALT instead of SPACE)?
This layout is more MAME-centric.
MAME is very flexible when it comes to remapping controls so consider which other emulators (if any) that you want/need to run.
- Some emulators are far less flexible and may require specific keystrokes/combinations for certain functions.
Scott