4pl control panel revision, please critique the ergonomics now!

[subzero23]

I apologize if you harbor illwill towards me but please be objective since this could help others in my position.

Here is my original design for the 4 player control panel, players 1 and 4 are at a 90' angle from the screen as are their joysticks.



new one


Now player 1 and 4 aren't more than at a 15' angle or any other angle they want

Now everyone was saying on 4pl CP threads the joysticks should be pointed towards the screen (so all 4 are parralel) which I thought was retarded if your CP has a large angle for players 1 and 4... but i was looking over arcade 4pl cp's and found out why they were like that.. it makes sense when it's like this, where pl 1 and 4 have one hand basically over another not side by side like pl 2 and 3 which is ok.

So opinions?

[eyal8r]

go with design #1- everyone else does this for a reason.  For example- one problem with #2 is- look at pl4- the corner of the CP is dug right into their chest/stomach- not a comfortable position to be in during a game!  Not to even mention having your hands all jacked in different/weird positions trying to SQUEEZE it all in.

Think about Simpsons. Think about Gauntlet. Think about any 4 player game- they're all angled on the sides, and, are VERY LARGE cp for that matter. There's no way 4 adults can play at the same time COMFORTABLY on any 4 player, unless the CP is twice the size of the normal.

Like I said in my other thread- I have a 4pl CP that I changed my mind and made it into a 2pl instead. So now, it's the same SIZE as a 4pl, but is only 2pl. 2 of us can fit comfortably shoulder to shoulder- and that's just 2 of us. In fact, when I built this CP, I actually INCREASED the size of the thing above the standard size- so I can't imagine squeezing 4 players in at the same time on a SMALLER CP.  Take my advice from someone who's just finished building one- either keep it 2 player, or, you DEFINITELY want to angle the sides if you insist on going with 4player, and angle the controls to see the screen.
D

[versapak]

Actually...


The Simpsons, and most other 4 player cabs were not angled.


Still...

I find that they should have been, because it is clearly the better design choice.





My cab is 4 player, and players 3 & 4 are angled at 45

[jck_strw]

versapak

Your CP looks really good.  What are the dimensions on this? 

[FractalWalk]

Design #1 looks good, but I still think that the joysticks "up" position should point toward the screen.  Perhaps it is a personal preference thing, but when my eye follows something on the screen and I want to go a particular direction, my hand wants to move in that same direction.

So if I am the far left player and at a 90 degree angle to the front of the CP, then pushing the joy forward, directionally, would be towards the right side of the screen. But if I understand you correctly, you want that to be "up".  I would have to do a 90 degree conversion in my head to get the directions right. I think that would be awkward. I'm sure I would get used to it, but it would be strange.

Think of it this way, if you leaned the screen back little by little until eventually it were completely horizontal, how would you place the joys?

[versapak]

versapak

Your CP looks really good.  What are the dimensions on this? 

Thanks



It is 49" X 18",

5 1/2" tall in the back, &

4 1/2" tall in the front.

Design #1 looks good, but I still think that the joysticks "up" position should point toward the screen.  Perhaps it is a personal preference thing, but when my eye follows something on the screen and I want to go a particular direction, my hand wants to move in that same direction.

So if I am the far left player and at a 90 degree angle to the front of the CP, then pushing the joy forward, directionally, would be towards the right side of the screen. But if I understand you correctly, you want that to be "up".  I would have to do a 90 degree conversion in my head to get the directions right. I think that would be awkward. I'm sure I would get used to it, but it would be strange.

Think of it this way, if you leaned the screen back little by little until eventually it were completely horizontal, how would you place the joys?

I did plenty of testing when designing my control panel, and the only way it was ever comfortable is when up was relative to the person, and not to the screen.

When I see on the screen that I need to jump up, then it translates in my head automatically that up is forward on the stick. When it was a diagonal move for up, it felt EXTREMELY unnatural.

[Gunstar Hero]

Awesome CP versapak!!

I would have swapped out the "Real Arcade" buttons for Happs myself... but that's a great idea.

Does the universal work with a USB adaptor for PC play as well?

[versapak]

Awesome CP versapak!!

I would have swapped out the "Real Arcade" buttons for Happs myself... but that's a great idea.

Does the universal work with a USB adapter for PC play as well?

Thanks.

I do intend to do the button and stick swap eventually, but it came down to a money issue for the time being. Also, the cab is very much for my kids as well, and my 5 year old son needs the color coded buttons to match up with what the Xbox (currently one of the brains of my cab, and the primary one at that) game is showing. When I do replace them, I will prolly give each player a unique color scheme.

As for the universals working with a USB adapter...

They don't have a breakaway built into them, so they don't work with most of the Xbox USB adapters. I managed to find an extension cable at CompUSA though, that had the ability to have the actual big fat Xbox plug fit into it, as well as the breakaway. I converted it into a standard USB adapter, and it works extremely well.

It installs into windows XP with built in drivers, so it was a very easy install.

There are 2 different versions of the controller though. The older one (has black mode, back & start buttons) installs as љ and

[Gunstar Hero]

I am intruiged by your ideas. How do I subscribe to your newsletter? 

[subzero23]

I think some people are a bit confused
do not worry about the notched angles on the CPs that doesnt matter

one the first panel, people would play at 90degree angles, on the other they wouldnt

[versapak]

No confusion here.

[subzero23]

No confusion here.

[versapak]

I think a 45 angle would be most comfortable but it'd make my CP way too wide for my liking

Sounds like you want to make a 2 player cabinet then.


heheh


Honestly... If I didn't have the room to comfortably fit a 4 player control panel, I would go with a comfortable 2 player. Realistically, the cab will mostly only ever see 2 player gaming anyway, as most games out there are only 2. Cramming all those players into to small a space, just makes it uncomfortable for all players.

[subzero23]

Yah but I don't care about them lol