List of controls used per game?

[Centipeed]

Hey all...

Is there a gamelist that also lists what controls the game needed  to play? Like it would say Robotron - Two joysticks

Anything like that around? If not we should start to make one... It would be quite useful methinks

Cheers

[ahriman]

I think this site is probally what you want.
http://link.mywwwserver.com/~jstookey/arcade/sortinfo/index.php

[SirPoonga]

That's what the controls.dat project is for.  In the software forum check out hte proof of concept thread and do a search for the johnny5 viewer.

[RayB]

Sortinfo is not accurate.

You could look through KLOV.com for your favorite games and find out that way.

[Lilwolf]

KLOV is also very inaccurate.

controls.dat is really the best place.

[marsmarvin]

Wouldn't it be cool to have a database that would list  what a particular CP will play?

A simple CP with a 4-way and one button will play "X"

Additional buttons/controls bring in additional games.

This would allow cab builders to make an intelligent decision about what controls to include.  

This would be helpful also for specialty controls like a diagonal 4-way (Q-bert, Congo Bongo, others?) or even a Star Wars flight yoke (is it good for anything beside Star Wars?).

[Centipeed]

Does anyone think we should make a text file of the controls used for every game that mame supports?

It would only need the controls needed for one player in that game, instead of listing all the buttons that were on the control panel originally...
(eg. Street Fighter 2 = 8way + 6 buttons)

It wouldn't be too hard to make, and everyone could contribute by uploading to someplace

Just an idea...

[marsmarvin]

I'd contribute.

[SirPoonga]

Does anyone think we should make a text file of the controls used for every game that mame supports?

It would only need the controls needed for one player in that game, instead of listing all the buttons that were on the control panel originally...
(eg. Street Fighter 2 = 8way + 6 buttons)

It wouldn't be too hard to make, and everyone could contribute by uploading to someplace

Just an idea...

already being done.  It's the controls.dat project.  It's currently down right now for several reason:
1) Big upgrade to software
2) Mame is changing the way it does controls, waiting to see what comes of that
3) upgrading the database to .84.

I am going to try and get the vieable areas back up by the end of this week.  The contribute part will be down until we see what mame is doing to the controls.

Wouldn't it be cool to have a database that would list  what a particular CP will play?

A simple CP with a 4-way and one button will play "X"

Additional buttons/controls bring in additional games.

Kinda like this?
http://fe.donkeyfly.com/controls/gamesbycontrol.php

Again, you will be able to get to this from the main project web page soon.  Then once these big changes in mame are figured out the contribute part will be available.

[Xiaou2]

 Looks nice : )    However... I think it would be even better, to have an actual screenshot of the control panels per game - or- some simple top view vector representation of the placement of the controls... or photo objects placed in the correct positions...  

 Also would like to see specific pics from all angles and maybe even some schematic drawings... (and maybe even disasembled pics of parts)  of each type of control.

  Ive noticed that there are many different versions of joystick designs for instance... probably many more than Ive seen.   Lots of varried wheel and shifter designs... and some very unique custom controllers...   Would be great from a design stance... to see how some of these games were built internally.

  Good  for historics as well as a source for fixing or reproducing specific controllers.

  And seeing the placement of controlers would help aid in placement designs for mame cab control panels.

[paigeoliver]

Will the controls.dat be more accurate as to which games have 4-way sticks, which have 2-way and which have 8-way? Because current information about that is terrible.

[SirPoonga]

 Looks nice : )    However... I think it would be even better, to have an actual screenshot of the control panels per game - or- some simple top view vector representation of the placement of the controls... or photo objects placed in the correct positions...  

That's what HowardC's Johnny5 controls.dat viewer is for.  Look in the software forum here and in the controls.dat forum at http://fe.donkeyfly.com.
Also in the software forum look at the Proof of concept thread, we are looking to add controls.dat support directly in mame.

[SirPoonga]

Will the controls.dat be more accurate as to which games have 4-way sticks, which have 2-way and which have 8-way? Because current information about that is terrible.

that is the purpose of controls.dat, to be more accurate than mame.
http://fe.donkeyfly.com/controls/faq.php

[DrewKaree]

Look in the software forum here and in the controls.dat forum at http://fe.mamehsot.com.

In searching for this, I found this thread listed, and tried to click this link...I was able to get to it in short order after looking at more search results, but just letting you know.

[SirPoonga]

If I spelled it correctly you might actually get there
editting...

[goofy]

Where can I download the control.dat file? It seems the main download site is still 'down for maintenance'. Since it's been that way for a while, I'm not expecting it to come back anytime soon.

Thanks.

[SirPoonga]

Actually, it will be back soon
It's been down to making sure .85 didn't drastically change how this project works.  Also being updated to .85 with some new features.  Also some drastic changes going on.  Also I have to fix a bug in the update wizard before I let it loose to the public again.  It should be soon barring I get time to work on it.   Hopefully in the next week or two.

[cdbrown]

For control panel pics you can download the 25 CP image zip files from here
http://www.mamehot.net/php/stuff.php?stuff=panel

cheers
-cdbrown

PS - hopefully when the project becomes public again I will be able to donate some time for submissions

[SirPoonga]

FYI, new control panels packs and controls.dat project back up

[fredster]

I asked the same question once.  Somebody sent me a link to a piece of software that had all the controls in it.  You could sort and look up what game took what.

I have since changed computers and solved the problem I had at the time, but that was some kind of spreadsheet/database view of the dat files.  It was pretty good as I recall.

Anybody remember where it is?

[SirPoonga]

It was SortInfo.  It isn't that accurate.