4 button CP - diamond or square config???

[javeryh]

Which is more comfortable to play on:

    o
o      o
    o


or

  o     o

  o     o

I'd love to hear what people think!

[GGKoul]

I say square.

[Apollo]

If I had the choice I'd put 4 buttons in a Neo Geo set up

    000
  0

[Hoagie_one]

square...its what i did on my bartop.

neo geo setup comes in a close second...if you played alot of neo geo like i did in teh arcade

[Chris]

Mine are in a flattened diamond, but I probably would have gone with a Neo Geo layout if I had room for it.

[Hoagie_one]

Chris, you have any pics of that round bottomed control panel.  It looks slick

[Chris]

Chris, you have any pics of that round bottomed control panel.  It looks slick

Just that one, for now, but I could take more.  It's not as slick as it looks; I never finished the bottom, so the trackball and trackball buttons are hanging exposed from the bottom.  I had wanted to build a modular panel and just built this one as a temporary panel.  My panel is a pale imitation of dhansen's rounded panels, which are truly slick.
See the thread at http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=10;action=display;threadid=17350;start=msg138550#msg138550 for pics of his cabinet and some panel construction pics.  He has more pics at http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=10;action=display;threadid=7906;start=msg57358#msg57358.  He is truly the master of the rounded panel.

--Chris

[Hoagie_one]

I dont think im a good enough craftsman to do that rounded edge

[Chris]

I dont think im a good enough craftsman to do that rounded edge

Well, if you look at mine, there's a chunk along the side that didn't come out right.  But if I had started correctly, it really isn't that hard.

The trick is to clamp the lexan down to the board tight and cut them both at once.  Use a fine-toothed blade on a jigsaw, go slow, and don't stop; try to make the entire cut in one pass.  If you make a small mistake, do NOT try to fix it with the saw by re-cutting or altering the path of the cut; whatever you try to do to fix it will only make the problem worse. Sand afterward if necessary to fix small issues.  T-molding will cover up smaller imperfections.

My big mistake was cutting the board first, which went well, then trying to cut the lexan to match, which went horribly.

--Chris

[NoOne=NBA=]

I would lay your hands on a sheet of paper, in playing position, and mark your index, middle, and ring fingers, in addition to your thumb.
THAT is where your buttons should be for maximum comfort/playability.

What you will probably end up with is a Neo-Geo layout.
The Neo-Geo layout will let you play all 1, 2, 3 and 4 button games comfortably, except for Vanguard--which is the only game that requires the diamond pattern.
Neither of the two layouts you proposed will let you play 3-button games comfortably.

[RayB]

diamond. You can hold your hand a a natural angle and treat them as if it was two rows, or as a diamond you can use them for directions for games like Vanguard or Smash TV (assuming the games don't crash if you press all the buttons at the same time)

[maraxle]

Neither of the two layouts you proposed will let you play 3-button games comfortably.

I have a flattened diamond layout on my panel, and it works great for 3-button games.  Plus you can still play Vanguard.  I see no advantage to the square layout, though.

[Chemixtry]

I was wondering the same thing about which button layout is better. Mine is going to be a vertical cab. Would that make a difference in the best layout since I wouldnt be playing neo-geo on it?

[blueoakleyz]

I think square
your fingers have more access

[NoOne=NBA=]

How do your fingers have more access on a square than they would sitting on all four buttons at once--like they do on the Neo-Geo layout?

And Maraxle, I've got modules for the squashed diamond and Neo-Geo patterns, and the diamond (while playable) is not nearly as comfortable for 3-button games.
You either end up putting your middle finger in an unnatural position by going for the near button, or you end up with the near button under your finger while hitting the far button.
(Which really annoys me).

My original swappable panels used a 5-button squashed diamond layout like below to avoid that.

   O
O    O  O
   O

When I went modular, that became unnecessary.

[Tiger-Heli]

Basically like everyone else said -

#1 - Neo-Geo pattern - good for all games (with some learning)
#2 - Flattened diamond - good for two button games, three button games, Vanguard, and can work for some 4-button games
#3 - Square - only really good for 2-button games and Tekkan.

[maraxle]

And Maraxle, I've got modules for the squashed diamond and Neo-Geo patterns, and the diamond (while playable) is not nearly as comfortable for 3-button games.
You either end up putting your middle finger in an unnatural position by going for the near button, or you end up with the near button under your finger while hitting the far button.
(Which really annoys me).

Sounds like your diamond isn't as squashed as mine.  The only time I have to put my middle finger in an unnatural position is when someone insults my layout.

[NoOne=NBA=]

You don't use the bottom button for the middle button though, do you?

[reebboy]

I prefer the Neo Geo style myself self as well. I have the diamond layout on one of my panels and I don't find it comfortable to us unless I'm playing Vanguard.

If the buttons are in a square or diamond, I find it hard to reach all over the panel to hit the buttons you want.

[RayB]

Reeb:
"Reach all over"?

That's how I feel about Neo Geo layouts.... heh.

With diamond, I keep one finger on the right one and one on the left. (For games where you habd JUMP and ATTACk). Then the top of the diamond shape is the "special" (bomb, magic, special attack) and it's not hard to hit it.

[NoOne=NBA=]

My Neo-Geo layout is three buttons touching in a line, with the 4th positioned where my thumb falls naturally, as I mentioned above.

That puts all 4 buttons right under my fingers while playing--no "reach up there, and hit that" required.

[javeryh]

Why is a 4-button square considered not so good but the SF 6-button rectangle layout is on almost every cab made around here? I'm still undecided but I'm leaning towards the diamond configuration...

[NoOne=NBA=]

Because you can play any 1-2-3 button game with the bottom buttons on the Streetfighter config.
Alot of people add the 7th button, to get the Neo-Geo config as well as the Streetfighter, so that they can play 4 button games comfortably as well.

It's your cab, so whatever you want.
Just don't be surprised if you find out you don't like the diamond pattern.

My favorite pattern, for a one-size-fits-all (that excludes fighting games, which I don't play), is actually the six button one like this.

       O
O  O  O  O
       O

[javeryh]

... interesting...  I will have to make some test CPs with some scrap to see what I like I guess.  Thanks for the input!

[ericball]

My suggestion would be to make a list of the games which you want to play and base your set up on that.

In my list 150 favorites (no fighters though) I have only a handful of games which require 4 buttons (e.g. Mouse Trap), bunches which require 3 buttons (e.g. Missile Command) and the rest 2 or less.

Now, my cab will be modular, so I am planning on having some 2 & 3 button panels (for Asteroids and other button only games), but the flattened diamond looks like a good alternative.