(buying tomorrow, so please reply) My list of controls, look good?

[Ghoul]

All from happs

2 super joysticks
1 ms. pac man/galaga 4 way stick
3" high lip trackball
3" trackball mounting kit
12 black ultimate pushbuttons (microswitch)
2 ultimate pushbuttons, dunno about color, to work as trackball buttons
2 red ultimate pushbuttons for the 4 way stick
Player 1/2 start buttons

CP will be made out of MDF

Interfaces will be ipac and optipac.


A few questions in particular:

Is the mounting kit the right one for the golden tee high lip trackball, and do I need it?

Is the ms pac/galaga stick a good dedicated 4 way?? This is NOT the one with the metal mounting plate.

What is a good number of buttons for a 4 way game? I planned on two but I don't know how many games use more than that. Also I know there's a program that sorts based on what controls a game uses but I didn't get it to work on my comp so please don't suggest using that.


I decided not to use a spinner because I never really played any games that used one.

[u_rebelscum]

Question #1

All from happs

...
3" high lip trackball
3" trackball mounting kit
...

Is the mounting kit the right one for the golden tee high lip trackball, and do I need it?

The mounting kit is the right one (if get the normal 3" mounting kit, not the 3" high ball kit).  You don't have to have it, but it's so much easier to mount the trackball with the kit.  Best if you route 1/16" off the top of the cp where you put the mounting plate; the plate is 1/16" thick, so this way the top of the plate is level with the top of the cp.  If you aren't putting lexan/plexi on top of your cp, use the spacer that comes with the TB, if you use lexan/plexi don't use the spacer and get 1/4" lexan.  (spacer is 1/4")

I'm sure others have gotten away without the mounting kit, but I'm going to use the kit.

[Carsten Carlos]

What is a good number of buttons for a 4 way game? I planned on two but I don't know how many games use more than that.

Two is the same I've choosen.
There are three (or four?) games that would need more, but these are worthless and unknown crap games, at least in my opinion.

Anyway, if absolutely needed you can still play them with your 8-way.

Two is fine!

[Lilwolf]

As for if its a good 4way.  Yes.... trouble is that its to small for a wood control panel.  If you have a router, you can get it installed, but it will need to be routed so far down that you might not like the strength of it.

just make sure that if you get mad, you hit the 8way sticks instead of the 4way...  

btw, have you considered the Oscar restrictor plates instead of another joystick?

Also, as for needing 2.  No you dont.  I have 2 because one is rotated for qbert.  But other then that you can always use an 8way for those few games... if there are any (haven't found any yet).  The tiem you need two is on a cocktail table.

[StingMe]

Get a joystick mounting plate from OSCAR for the ms pac/galaga stick and you don't have to worry about the strength of the panel after routing it...

[CthulhuLuke]

12 black ultimate pushbuttons (microswitch)
2 ultimate pushbuttons, dunno about color, to work as trackball buttons

Make sure you get the horizontal pushbuttons!  You will regret getting the verticals for your main pushbuttons, because they are a pain to wear in, and they just do not feel as good as the horizontal pushbuttons.  I'd say it's fine to have vertical pushbuttons for the 4-way joystick, because they are pretty stiff, but if you're gonna be playin hardcore galaga, then I'd go with horizontals for the whole thing.
One thing I wish I had bought the first time round is about 10 extra microswitches for if you accidently bend one so bad that the metal breaks off and you need to replace it, or if something bizarre happens and the metal tabs break off.
Another real quick note is that the pac-man joystick has a VERY small shaft, and a pretty stiff spring, so although it'll feel ackward at first, it will feel good once it's worn in.  If Andy Warne had those J-stiks available when I was deciding on a 4-way, I would have more likely gone with that, although I didn't have enough space on my main cabinet to mount the joystick I got.  Sorry for incomplete or bizarre sentences, I'm in the middle of Computer Networking, it's wayyyy tooo early, and I can barely function.
    About the super joysticks, before you install them, I highly suggest bending the actuators slightly where the round actuator hits them so that they are slightly more sensitive, because it feels wayyyyy better if you install them like that instead of having to wear them in to make them feel sensitive enough.
      -Good Luck
        -CthulhuLuke