Newbie Needs Help From Experts

[dumblemort]

Hey Group...i'm in the planning stages of my Mame cabinent and need some advice. Some of the games I love have specialized controls and while I think I have the control layout figured out, what I don't know is if a single mame/keyboard interface will handle everything I need. Here's the list minus the buttons.

4 - Eight Way (Happ, convertable to 4 way) joy sticks so two
        people can play Karate Champ....and general game play
2 - Rotary Joysticks for "Ikari Warrior" / "Heavy Barrel"
1 - Track Ball for Golden Tee/Birdie King/Cenipede etc..
1 - Spinner Tempest etc...
1 (maybe two) - Steering wheel and pedals for driving games
      I'm going to attempt to make these removable or at least re
      locateable.

Am I trying to go beyond the limitations of MAME or is this do-able?

Some possible work arounds i've thought of are as follows...I would appreciate your comments on the workarounds and please offer other solutions that I may not have thought of.

Is the solution to this as simple as just mapping the devices differenly for each game or do you guys think i'm going to need mutiple cabinents/control panels. If one keyboard encoder cannot handle all this, could I use two with one of those keyboard A/B switches?

The last option I came up with is putting two or more PC's in my mame cabinent (i've got a couple of older PC's laying around) and having a selector switch for which one I send to the monitor.

I know this is a can of worms and I appreciate any advice..

Eric

*******BAD NOOBIE....I just found the link for the MONSTER FAQ web page http://www.ecst.csuchico.edu/~darrelld/newbie.html  .i'll update my questions after I read it....thanks and who has the wet noodle for my beating??  

[Hiub1]

That's a heck of a lot of stuff to cram in a single control panel. You might want to consider making swappable panels, rotating panels, or something along those lines. I am not too clear on the rotary joysticks, but I believe that you technically "COULD" use them as regular joysticks with the added rotary function available for whenever you want to play those 2 games. Again, I've never held one in my hand but I recall reading that somewhere (guys help me out here!). What I see presenting the most trouble would be the 2 steering wheels that you want to add in. I would give this some serious thought as to if you really want to go through all that trouble. Also, you have to take into account what type of steering wheel you are going to be using. With some clever engineering, and LOTS of prototypes and testing, you can accomodate everything else you needed into a single CP, or go with the interchangeable route.

Just remember to test and make as many prototypes as you need to make your CP, since it is probably THE most important part to make the arcade feel fun and comfortable.

[Tiger-Heli]

I am not too clear on the rotary joysticks, but I believe that you technically "COULD" use them as regular joysticks with the added rotary function available for whenever you want to play those 2 games. Again, I've never held one in my hand but I recall reading that somewhere (guys help me out here!).

Yes and no - the Happ Rotaries are basically the same as a Happ Super with the added rotation mechanism - okay for 8-way games, but not the first choice either.

The SNK LS-30 Ikari sticks are playble for the 8-way games, but that's about it.  If it were the only stick available, it would get you by, but that's about all.

[rdagger]

Here's how I would do it using a single IPAC 28 input and DualStike hack assuming you are not going to be using the rotary sticks at the same time you are using the 8-ways and only one set of pedals and steering wheel.
1.  Run the gas/brake pedals off a DualStrike hack (assuming no clutch).
2.  Connect the first 8-way and first rotary to the IPAC P1 joystick ports.
3.  Connect the third 8-way and 2nd rotary to the IPAC P2 joystick ports.
4.  Connect the 2nd and 4th 8-ways to the DualStrike directional buttons and hat.
5.  Run the spinner, trackball and steering off an OptiPAC or USB.  

To connect the rotary joysticks you could use Druin's interface  or you could build your own.  I have some plans on my site.

[Tiger-Heli]

Okay, here goes -

4 - Eight Way (Happ, convertable to 4 way) joy sticks so two
        people can play Karate Champ....and general game play

Okay, the Happ convertible to 4-way really aren't - They have an actuator which you can flip to make it harder to hit the diagonals, but you can still hit the diagonals.  Even worse on a real 4-way stick, you were resticted from moving to the diagonals.  These allow movement but have dead zones on the diagonals.

Consider either having 4-eight way sticks and one dedicated 4-way (sharing inputs with the P1 Stick or a true switchable joystick like the GroovyGameGear Prodigy, Utimarc T-Stick Plus, Ultimarc J-Stik, etc.

2 - Rotary Joysticks for "Ikari Warrior" / "Heavy Barrel"

Happ Mechanical, Happ Optical, or SNK?  Either the Mechanicals or the SNK's require 6 inputs each, and Druin's interface board.

Am I trying to go beyond the limitations of MAME or is this do-able?

Nothing is beyond the limitations of MAME - There is no game made that cannot be played (Prop Cycle that Nordic Track Skiing game are close) with the appropriate amount of money for controls.  As far as your panel, I would recommend having the rotary joysticks on a separate panel, and the wheels on a separate panel.  I think all the rest can work on one panel.

If one keyboard encoder cannot handle all this, could I use two with one of those keyboard A/B switches?

You shouldn't need two keyboard encoders - each joystick uses 4 inputs, rotaries with interface board use six, buttons use one.  If you did, you COULD use an A/B switch, but it is easier to reprogram them so they don't conflict and daisy chain them together.  You will need an opti-pac or mouse hack(s) for the optical items.

The last option I came up with is putting two or more PC's in my mame cabinent (i've got a couple of older PC's laying around) and having a selector switch for which one I send to the monitor.

That would be a very complicated solution that doesn't gain you anything.