4P Control Panel Logistics

[FrizzleFried]

OK... so I picked up an NBA Jam conversion that was originally a TMNT.  It even came with the TMNT PCB.  Arcade karma demanded that I rescue bland conversion and bring it back to the ultimate cheezy 1980's TMNT standards.  So I did...

Of course I left it a 3-button layout (plus start) which differs from the TMNT stock 2 button layout (sans start)... as I was going to house both the original TMNT PCB (for that Arcade Karma!) as well as an ARpiCADE MAME setup.

I am now down to setting up the control panel and I've yet to decide how I am going to handle this.

All/most 4P Konami games have a layout like this:

P1 - P2 - P3 - P4

... with the location of where you play determined by the 4 different coin slots.  Input a signal at Coin 1 and P1 lights up,  Coin 2 and P2 is ready to rock,  etc...

This is how I currently have the setup running as that is how the original TMNT is wired...

HOWEVER... on non-Konami and/or games that simply don't use the coin slots to determine location... I'm stuck playing P1 way over on the left!

For those games I'd like to run a P3 - P1 - P2 - P4 setup.

NOW... the question becomes... which is a bigger pain in the butt to go through the games of to set up the controls custom?

Anyone have this answer?   I'm still leaning keeping it P1 - P2 - P3 - P4 just to keep it compatible with the TMNT PCB "stock" (which won't be used though)... but I'm open to changing my mind.

Anyone?

[PL1]

which is a bigger pain in the butt to go through the games of to set up the controls custom?

There are far more 2P games than 4P games, so it makes sense to set the MAME defaults to P3 - P1 - P2 - P4 then go into the 4P games and remap the P1 through P3 inputs in those games to P1 - P2 - P3 - P4.


Scott
EDIT: I know you already know this, Frizz, but for readers who don't -- there's a potential overlap (highlighted in yellow) between the MAME defaults and IPac4 defaults.
- Anyone with more than 4 buttons for P1 and P2 will have to reprogram the IPac and map P2B5, P2B6, etc. in MAME's "Input (general)" menu.

[FrizzleFried]

This is a dedicated 3P/4P cabinet.   I already have a 2P MAME cabinet.



So I am only really concerned with 3P and 4P games...

Which also eliminates any issue with buttons, etc...

[PL1]

This is a dedicated 3P/4P cabinet.   I already have a 2P MAME cabinet.

Since you're not including 2P games, it makes sense to do P1 - P2 - P3 - P4 as defaults and remap the games where you don't want to be "stuck playing P1 way over on the left".   


Scott

[PL1]

The other option to consider is mapping the 4P versions of the 4P games (tmnt, simpsons, etc.) as P1 - P2 - P3 - P4 for three or four player gaming and mapping a 2P version of the 4P games (tmnt2po, simpsons2p, etc.) as XX - P1 - P2 - XX for one or two player gaming.   


Scott

[KenToad]

I mapped my 4 player control panel defaults as P4 - P1 - P2 - P3, because that makes all the 2 and 3 player games in the correct orientation and all I had to do was remap the 4 player games. I've never understood putting Player 3 all the way on the left. Can anyone explain the rationale of that to me, because it seems to get repeated a lot?

[PL1]

I mapped my 4 player control panel defaults as P4 - P1 - P2 - P3, because that makes all the 2 and 3 player games in the correct orientation and all I had to do was remap the 4 player games.

That makes sense for 2P and 3P games.   

I've never understood putting Player 3 all the way on the left. Can anyone explain the rationale of that to me, because it seems to get repeated a lot?

I think the reasoning process went something like this.

1. First group:  P1 and P2 get the middle positions because most games are two player.

2. Second group:  P3 and P4 get the outer positions because less games are three or four player.

3. Order within each group:  Player numbers are arranged in increasing order from left to right.

Applying those three rules, you end up with this pattern.

First group
- P1 center-left
- P2 center-right

Second group
- P3 outer-left
- P4 outer-right


Scott

[FrizzleFried]

I mapped my 4 player control panel defaults as P4 - P1 - P2 - P3, because that makes all the 2 and 3 player games in the correct orientation and all I had to do was remap the 4 player games. I've never understood putting Player 3 all the way on the left. Can anyone explain the rationale of that to me, because it seems to get repeated a lot?

That's a good idea as you're right... it would eliminate one spot to have to re-map. 

As for the rationale,  I can tell you my OCD kicks in when you say P4-P1-P2-P3...