Proper joystick placement on 4 player CP

[Sinner]

I'm in the middle of planning a 4 player CP...I would like to be able to use the joysticks to play 2 player Karate Champ...does anyone have any suggestions about control placement to accomplish this??? 

So far I have a 3" HAPP TB, 2 TStik Plus joysticks for player 1 and 2, and 2 HAPP supers for player 3 and 4...

I plan on picking up an Oscar V2 with the push/pull option and some sort of rotary joystick...

Is there anything else I need, as far as controls go?

[Fat_Trucker]

You could take a look at the Slikstik panels as they tackle most of these probs, also have a good root about in the hall of fame for inspiration.

Don't sacrifice useability for completeness. Mainly its a question of getting it to look neat and still be accessible and comfortable.

If you really need a control for every occasion then a two tiered panel looks great. Other than that you could consider building two swappable panels so you have one main panel for general two player use with a trackball and spinner etc, and another monstrous 4 player panel with all the additional sticks/buttons etc that you can fit when you really need all the extras or on the odd occasions when you want to play a 4 player game.

[Kremmit]

Karate Champ used four 4-way joysticks.

[Sinner]

Karate Champ used four 4-way joysticks.

I currently have a CP with two 8-way joysticks, and it plays just fine...not worried about that...

[Sinner]

I was at the hardweare store yesterday, and I pulled out a piece of 5/8" MDF...it was 48" long by 24" wide...I got my GF to stand next to me to see how it would be for 4 players...it's way too small...if the side were angled, then it would be fine, but I would like to make it straight, so I can use the controls for 2 player Karate Champ...

I've looked at tons of examples, and it's all a blur to me now...I thought 48" would be enough...now I'm thinking it will have to be 60" or more...

What is the suggested length for a 4 player CP with TB and spinner??

[Veinman]

Unless your monitor is going to be quite a ways away from the control panel, don't go wider than 48". Players 3 and 4 would never be able to see.

[Sinner]

Unless your monitor is going to be quite a ways away from the control panel, don't go wider than 48". Players 3 and 4 would never be able to see.

I was just going to use the Project Arcade plans, and have 27" TV...I'll have to find some cardboard and try 60"...it's only one more foot, but I think it's needed...

[NoOne=NBA=]

I currently have a CP with two 8-way joysticks, and it plays just fine...not worried about that...

No it doesn't.
You just don't know any better, so you THINK it plays fine.

Karate Champ, and Assault, HAVE to have 4-ways to play properly.
They lock up when any diagonal is hit, causing the controls to be semi-functional at best with an 8-way.

[Sinner]

I currently have a CP with two 8-way joysticks, and it plays just fine...not worried about that...

No it doesn't.
You just don't know any better, so you THINK it plays fine.

Karate Champ, and Assault, HAVE to have 4-ways to play properly.
They lock up when any diagonal is hit, causing the controls to be semi-functional at best with an 8-way.

OK...that's an interesting approach...
Let me clarify..."I" have never had a problem with controls locking during this game...at least not to the point of it being noticeable to me...maybe with a new CP I would...as I said, I'm not worried about that...
I'm not exactly sure how you can make statements regarding my knowledge or what I think...that aside, I'm not really interested in benighted comments...feel free to make them in reference to someone else...

[NoOne=NBA=]

I don't really care what YOU want to play it with.
I'm just trying to keep you from leading someone else astray.
They'll see your comment about how it works fine for you, and think it will work fine for them as well.

You need to remember that alot of replies to "your" questions will be directed at others coming along behind you, not necessarily at YOU.

You asked for suggestions about a Karate Champ CP.
My suggestion is get four 4-way Wicos, and build it a separate CP.
It will flat suck with anything else.


As to how I can make statements about your knowledge, I've got 20 years of experience with the game, and your "knowledge" is contrary to everything I've experienced.
That makes me question your experiences.

Have you ever played the game in a dedicated cab, or just in MAME?
If so, have you played it RECENTLY in a dedicated cab?

I can't believe that you would say that it "plays fine" with 8-ways, if you had ever played it with 4-ways.

[Crazy Cooter]

I'm in the middle of planning a 4 player CP...I would like to be able to use the joysticks to play 2 player Karate Champ...does anyone have any suggestions about control placement to accomplish this???

So far I have a 3" HAPP TB, 2 TStik Plus joysticks for player 1 and 2, and 2 HAPP supers for player 3 and 4...

I plan on picking up an Oscar V2 with the push/pull option and some sort of rotary joystick...

Is there anything else I need, as far as controls go?

I need a graphic.
If you want four joys, a trackball and a spinner, it will fit in 48''.
http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=K&game_id=8280
Look at the original.  Four joys, small space.

I wouldn't bother with a rotary unless you get a pair of them (IMO).  Anything else is up to you... wheel/yoke/TRON/handlebars/DDR pad... the list is endless.

[IntruderAlert]

As far as mounting the sticks goes
You'd have to either mount them all straight across
or you could try putting them in line on a 45 degree angle and change the settings for the 2 player dual stick games

check this topic:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,36469.0.html

[Sinner]

I don't really care what YOU want to play it with.
I'm just trying to keep you from leading someone else astray.
They'll see your comment about how it works fine for you, and think it will work fine for them as well.

I never once said I wanted to play it with 8-ways, I said I play it on two 8-ways currently and it's fine for me...
It wasn't what you were saying that bothered me, it was the uncouth way you were saying it...

You need to remember that a lot of replies to "your" questions will be directed at others coming along behind you, not necessarily at YOU.

I agree...though, you can make comments without coming off rude...I even asked someone else to read your post, just to make sure it wasn't just the way I was taking it...

You asked for suggestions about a Karate Champ CP.

I never once asked about a KC CP...I wanted to know about the placement of joysticks on a 4 player CP, so that I could use the 1&2, 3&4 to play 2player KC...

My suggestion is get four 4-way Wicos, and build it a separate CP.
It will flat suck with anything else.

Now you're making a suggestion...before you implied I was stupid, and said KC has to have 4-ways to play properly...

As to how I can make statements about your knowledge, I've got 20 years of experience with the game, and your "knowledge" is contrary to everything I've experienced.

I'm in my mid 30's...it "is" possible that I've played the game just as much as you have...just because you have experiences with something, doesn't mean that other people can't have different ones that are still correct or acceptable...

That makes me question your experiences.

You didn't question anything...you flat out said I was wrong, and that I just thought I was fine with it...

Have you ever played the game in a dedicated cab, or just in MAME?

Quite a few times actually...

If so, have you played it RECENTLY in a dedicated cab?

Not in about a year, but that's irrelevant...

I can't believe that you would say that it "plays fine" with 8-ways, if you had ever played it with 4-ways.

I have played it with 4-ways, and I said I wasn't worried about it with 8-ways...

[Sinner]

I'm in the middle of planning a 4 player CP...I would like to be able to use the joysticks to play 2 player Karate Champ...does anyone have any suggestions about control placement to accomplish this???

So far I have a 3" HAPP TB, 2 TStik Plus joysticks for player 1 and 2, and 2 HAPP supers for player 3 and 4...

I plan on picking up an Oscar V2 with the push/pull option and some sort of rotary joystick...

Is there anything else I need, as far as controls go?

I need a graphic.
If you want four joys, a trackball and a spinner, it will fit in 48''.
http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=K&game_id=8280
Look at the original.

[Sinner]

As far as mounting the sticks goes
You'd have to either mount them all straight across
or you could try putting them in line on a 45 degree angle and change the settings for the 2 player dual stick games

check this topic:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,36469.0.html

That's great...thank you...

[NoOne=NBA=]

Your best option is to ditch all the controllers you have so far, and get 49-ways with the GGG interfaces.

As long as the controllers are comfortably placed, and either parallel, or at a 45 to each other, you can program them with a combination of 4-way and Q*Bert modes, to work properly for everything.

[Katana Man]

I'd like to add some food for thought concerning the alignment of the top row of buttons and the joystick.

In my past experience, most of the arcade machines with 6 butttons had the top row lined up with the joystick.

[IntruderAlert]

but he's asking about 2 player dual stick games

[krick]

I'd like to add some food for thought concerning the alignment of the top row of buttons and the joystick.
In my past experience, most of the arcade machines with 6 butttons had the top row lined up with the joystick.

[Katana Man]

but he's asking about 2 player dual stick games

Oh ok, sorry. Missed that.

[Bones]

Back to your Karate Champ question.....

KC was big on my list of must haves and I specifically arranged my 4-way joysticks with this in mind. Here is a link to my unfinished CP. http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,35285.msg326398.html#msg326398

The 4-ways are positioned on either side of the green buttons.

Good luck.

[Sinner]

Back to your Karate Champ question.....

KC was big on my list of must haves and I specifically arranged my 4-way joysticks with this in mind. Here is a link to my unfinished CP. http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,35285.msg326398.html#msg326398

The 4-ways are positioned on either side of the green buttons.

Good luck.

Are your player 3 and 4 angled?