what about buttons left of joystick? - update

[MoonDog]

I've noticed that most of the control panels I see have a 6 or 7 button layout and almost never have any buttons to the left of the joystick.  I realize that putting buttons on both sides has serious space implications, but do most of you left hand the joystick on all games that use buttons?  Admittedly I am more of a pinpall than video game player, but MAME may be changing that.  I did get into playing 1942 at one point, which has buttons on both sides, and then started to notice that many games had buttons on the right only.  Maybe it was from a childhood of playing Atari 2600 and C64 games (same controller) that I am used to using my left hand for fire/jump/etc.  Just as a note, I am right handed.  

I was wondering what others had to say about this.  Have others here run into the same issue?  Did you put buttons on both sides?  I'm trying to decide if I can get away with just two on the left or if I should go with three.  I never got into fighting games, but I'll probably put 6 on the right just in case.  I think I'll skip the 7th button because that would probably get in the way when using right hand on the joystick.  I'm planning on a 2 player panel with a switchable 4/8 way and hopefully a trackball and spinner.

The great thing about BYOAC is that I can put the buttons where ever I want!

[whammoed]

I hear ya on the atari 2600 thing.  I often use my right hand for the joystick.  My first cab had the buttons on the left because of this.  My current cab has buttons on both sides on the vertical panels and a standard fighter layout on the horizontal panel with a four way in the middle i usually set up to use either set of buttons.

[u_rebelscum]

I like your 2or3+joy+7 idea.

Many original CPs with two or less buttons mirrored them on both sides.  AFAIK, the only games with 3+ buttons on the left were usually TB games, and/or with all buttons on left side.

FWIW, I have a 2+joy+2 button CP, as well as a more normal BYOCP with joy+7 buttons.  I did the mirrored 2 buttons because I remember as a kid playing many of the mirrored buttons CPs, switching which side of buttons I used to rest my hands.  I find I still do that sometimes.

[MoonDog]

Many original CPs with two or less buttons mirrored them on both sides.  AFAIK, the only games with 3+ buttons on the left were usually TB games, and/or with all buttons on left side.

I just remembered a good reason for me to have 3 buttons on the left... Golden Axe!  The original has buttons on right only, but I think I prefer to play with them on the left.  I built a test CP with a single t-stik and 3 buttons on each side just to get a feel for the layout.  I'll have to run through some 3 button games and see if I can handle buttons on the right for those.  Feel free to post any popular 3 button joystick games!  This may help determine my cp layout.

[mahuti]

I'm left handed. I would never use the buttons on the left. It would feel really, really weird.

This has been discussed before. Usually it's a personal preference... by no means does it help left handed people in particular. We are accustomed to living in a right handed world, and have adapted accordingly.

[crashwg]

Speeking of adaptation...  A guy that I'm doing some work for is left handed but shoots (gun/bow) and bats right handed.

[Doc-]

A friend of mine wanted this - so I came up with a solution by just swapping a few panels around on my modular setup.  See the web link for more examples.

The thumb buttons don't match, but I guess you could put them on both sides of the joystick panel if you want.

Doc-


 

[MoonDog]

i love the idea of a modular control panel, but i haven't decided if i will build one.  a static panel will be cheaper (big plus at this point) and willl allow switching games quickly without fussing with swapping panels in and out.  the advantages of modular though are obvious.

[NoOne=NBA=]

Speeking of adaptation...  A guy that I'm doing some work for is left handed but shoots (gun/bow) and bats right handed.

It's not a matter of "handedness" in this case, but "eye dominance".

He is left eye dominant, and so shoots that way.
When batting, you need BOTH eyes to track the incoming pitch, so can bat from either side of the plate with a little practice.

If you SHOOT with both eyes open, which is the best way to shoot pistols, your aim will be automatically controlled by your dominant eye.
You can learn to shoot with your "off" eye, but have to CLOSE your dominant one to do so effectively--or intentionally "aim off".

[Wiss]

I'm the same way but reversed (right handed, hockey/bat/golf left handed).  From what I understand this is not related to being ambidextrous but rather that a right handed person has less strength but more control when batting/swinging this way.  With me it happened that I started batting right handed but my dad wanted me to be able to switch hit when I was a kid so had me start batting left handed.  Once I learned how to bat as a leftie I couldn't go back, just felt weird.  

[daywane]

Speeking of adaptation...  A guy that I'm doing some work for is left handed but shoots (gun/bow) and bats right handed.

That's because his dominate eye is his right right eye.
I am right handed but I have to shoot with my left.
( I deer hunt, That's how I learned of this )

OPSY. I posted before I read the last 2  posts.  

[mahuti]

Most left handed people fall into the "functional ambidextrous" category. We can't do everything equally with both hands, but in a test of the major hand skills, we will do some right & some left-handed, whereas a majority of people that are right handed, don't do use the left for a lot of the major skills.

For instance.
I write, bat, throw, dribble, golf, left handed.

I use a mouse, scissors, screw driver, and play guitar all right handed, and it would drive me nuts to try to do them the other way.

Most of it has to do with what I grew up with. I had to use right handed scissors & guitar growing up, and that's all I can do now. The first golf club I ever had was a "leftie", and I can't use right-handed clubs to save my life. I wish my parents had just made me try their clubs, but they found a left handed club and taught me to use it. I don't golf because I'm too cheap to buy a set of left handed golf clubs, when everybody I know has piles of right handed clubs I could have for free.  

[Stingray]

I put my buttons on the left because I just like it better that way. I'm right handed.



-S

[daywane]

I put my buttons on the left because I just like it better that way. I'm right handed.



-S

NICE CP!  

[Sasquatch!]

If memory serves me correctly, I remember playing most 4-way joystick games right-handed, but most 8-way joystick games left-handed.  Does this sound right/familiar?

[whammoed]

If memory serves me correctly, I remember playing most 4-way joystick games right-handed, but most 8-way joystick games left-handed.  Does this sound right/familiar?

Somewhat.  Games that only used a joystick, like pacman, i would definitely play with right.  Some odd balls with a button, like rallyx, had the button on the left so right handed there too.  Others like galaga and donkey kong (most others) had the button on the right so you would play left.

[MoonDog]

Well, for the record this is what I came up with so far...

This is my test panel made from scrap.  I'll use this as a starting point for the final version.  I'm considering mounting a trackball to the front of the CP and hinging it so it will swing up, but I haven't come up with a design that I like for that yet.

[FractalWalk]

For me the right-left decision is driven by the controller that requires the most dexterity. I am right handed and so the joystick usually goes in the right hand. But in many games, the buttons require more dexterity and in that case the joystick goes in the left hand.

For example, I play Pac-man with right-joy and Galaga with left-joy (firing requires a sensitive touch).  Then there's Robotron and SMASH TV where I don't have a choice (except to contort my body or re-map the inputs).