Holy crap, another 4 player CP plan

[nickbuol]

Yup, my turn...

[IntruderAlert]

players 3 & 4 won't be too happy if they get pushed from behind

[AlanS17]

The outer joysticks need to be rotated to be perpendicular with the screen. It's standard.

[nickbuol]

players 3 & 4 won't be too happy if they get pushed from behind

Maybe I could put little spikes pointing outward and then when playing NBA JAM or something, push them into the corners and steal the ball while they are complaining about being speared!

Good point.  I could round the corners.

[nickbuol]

The outer joysticks need to be rotated to be perpendicular with the screen. It's standard.

No problem.  Good call on that one.  I got lazy and just copied and then rotated the player 1 and player 2 joystick/button sets and should have rotated the joysticks back.  New plan coming soon...

[nickbuol]

OK.

[IntruderAlert]

..oh well.. i'm too slow

[AlanS17]

There's nothing wrong with moving the 2 outer players more towards the screen. You have alot of space you're not using.

[nickbuol]

There's nothing wrong with moving the 2 outer players more towards the screen. You have alot of space you're not using.

I was just afraid that the controls would seem too far away from the front of the control panel, but you are right that they could be moved.


IntruderAlert....  Nice peeps! 

[IntruderAlert]

and instead of rounding why not just change the angles to match players 3 and 4 ?

actually you have enough space between your front controls and back controls that you could also reduce the total depth of the CP a bit as well

[IntruderAlert]

oh.. and several people have commented that the 3 buttons above the trackball are mainly only if you want to use the trackball as a mouse and are not really necessary

That would save you a bit more space unless you really want them

[nickbuol]

updated....

[Mugzilla]

I put my trackball buttons at the 10

[IntruderAlert]

for playing games with the trackball wouldn't it just be easier to use player 1 or player 2 buttons

[IntruderAlert]

You might want to take a look at these topics as well:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,36073.msg323011.html#msg323011

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

[unclet]

Should you have your pinball yellow buttons mounted perpendicular to the control panel like a real pinball machine has them?  Basically, it seems very uncomfortable to play pinball with such slated buttons.

[mark shaker]

The outer joysticks need to be rotated to be perpendicular with the screen. It's standard.

Wait a sec. Does anyone other than me think that the sticks should be aligned to the player, not to the monitor?

   - Mark

[markrvp]

The outer joysticks need to be rotated to be perpendicular with the screen. It's standard.

Wait a sec. Does anyone other than me think that the sticks should be aligned to the player, not to the monitor?

[CheffoJeffo]

The outer joysticks need to be rotated to be perpendicular with the screen. It's standard.

Wait a sec. Does anyone other than me think that the sticks should be aligned to the player, not to the monitor?

Cue Paige ... whom I happen to agree with on this, although I have never built a 4-player CP from scratch.

Cheers.

[pointdablame]

The outer joysticks need to be rotated to be perpendicular with the screen. It's standard.

Wait a sec. Does anyone other than me think that the sticks should be aligned to the player, not to the monitor?

   - Mark

No production 4 player machine ever had joysticks slanted like that.  They were all set with the monitor in mind.  It might be an ongoing debate here, but I don't see why.  It just doesn't feel right when UP on the screen is not UP towards the screen... no matter what way you are facing.

But that's just my .02

[Veinman]

I've played with the angled setup, and it caused no problems. Chalk it up to personal preference, but it's ideal if you can try both ways before deciding.

[nickbuol]

I've played with the angled setup, and it caused no problems. Chalk it up to personal preference, but it's ideal if you can try both ways before deciding.

Problem is that I need to get the plans to a local millsworks company that is doing all of our laminating, cutting the sheets, and "cutting" (not drilling) the holes for everything, so I kind of need to know soon and I am waiting for my joysticks and buttons to show up so I can't do a mock up with cardboard or anything.

I guess I could just line it up so that the joysticks just get a hole cut for the shaft, and then I could route out the bottom myself depending on if I go with an angle or perpendicular to the display...

[CheffoJeffo]

Something to consider ...

Since you haven't mentionned what type of sticks you're putting in, it is tough to judge ... are you going to be playing any 2-player, 2-stick games (like Karate Champ) ? That would be tough with angled sticks (might be tough with the offests anyway).

Cheers.

[quarterback]

I kind of need to know soon and I am waiting for my joysticks and buttons to show up so I can't do a mock up with cardboard or anything.

I guess I could just line it up so that the joysticks just get a hole cut for the shaft, and then I could route out the bottom myself depending on if I go with an angle or perpendicular to the display...

Either go with the way that all "production 4 player machine"s were made (all joysticks pointing the same direction... up) OR have the millsworks company rout out a circular area into the bottom of your CP and you can spin 'em any which way you want.

[quarterstringer]

No production 4 player machine ever had joysticks slanted like that.

[markrvp]

No production 4 player machine ever had joysticks slanted like that.

[nickbuol]

Something to consider ...

Since you haven't mentionned what type of sticks you're putting in, it is tough to judge ... are you going to be playing any 2-player, 2-stick games (like Karate Champ) ? That would be tough with angled sticks (might be tough with the offests anyway).

Cheers.

I will be using four Competition 8-Ways and an Ultimate 4-Way. 

Never thought about 2-player, 2-stick games...  Hmmm...

[nickbuol]

Either go with the way that all "production 4 player machine"s were made (all joysticks pointing the same direction... up) OR have the millsworks company rout out a circular area into the bottom of your CP and you can spin 'em any which way you want.

Interesting thought on them routing out a circle.  That would make it more versitile, and then I could figure that out later...

I still am thinking about those 2-player, 2-stick games.  Would perpendicular to the screen be the only way to go for those games?

[unclet]

I love Karate Champ and could not play them if my 4-player control panel had slanted 3rd and 4th player sticks.

PS:  I also play Robotron and SmashTV

[Sinner]

I'm thinking of something like this for myself...it will allow me to play 2player,2stick games...
It's 48"x18", and I have to figure out how I'm going to setup the pinball buttons...either a cut-out on top of the CP, or build the box so that it can accommodate the buttons...
I really think multiple CPs is the way to go, but if like me you have space and money constraints, then 1 full 4 player is what I opted for...

[pointdablame]

True, but they didn't have control panels that were shaped with 45 degee angles either. And that's why there is the debate.

All things considered though, its not really on a 45 degree angle.  Most CPs here are angled more for aesthetics than control placement.  Like the original poster, he made the angle so that people weren't jamming their stomach into the point, but it doesnt really affect teh control placement.  He could jsut as easily have made a rectangular CP with teh same layout.. and he could angle or not angle the joys regardless of CP shape.

And for the record, some games such as the 6player Xmen cab and some showcase cabs I've seen DO have a control panel with angled edges... and they still dont' angle the joysticks.

It's personal preference like so many have said... but if you are using the industry as a reference, the angle on the CP makes no difference... joysticks face up towards the monitor.

[IntruderAlert]

Ive never played Gauntlet Player 3 or 4
Which way is up?

[pointdablame]

Ive never played Gauntlet Player 3 or 4
Which way is up?

up is up   as far as I remember, up to the monitor is up for the joy.

[IntruderAlert]

I guess that works for gauntlet but this positioning would be pretty freaky for a fighting game or most other games for that matter

[pointdablame]

I guess that works for gauntlet but this positioning would be pretty freaky for a fighting game or most other games for that matter

but the important thing is that it'd work just fine for most if not all 4player games.  Yeah, you wouldn't wanna play Street Fighter with it... but thats a 2p game anyway.

[etumor]

Here are my thoughts:

First of all, regarding the angled/nonangled debate on player's 3 & 4:

I used a 38" panel with players 3 & 4 on the extreme upper corners.  In that position, I tried both regular and angled controls.  P3 and P4 were UNPLAYABLE with the regular controls.  I had to angle them.  Since then, I have come to the conclusion that if these two positions are further from the monitor (closer to the P1 and P2 positions), then angling them probably wouldn't work real well, and you'd want to go regular.  So I ernestly believe that the answer to this debate is that "it depends."  Your best bet is to design the position of the joysticks and their buttons so that those two sticks can be mounted either way, then try them both.  Once your machine is up and running, you will discover that one definitely works better than the other -- but it varies based on too many factors, so until you try it, you won't know.

Secondly, do you really need seven buttons in the P3 and P4 positions?  Look at the games you are going to be running.  I don't know of a single 4 player game that uses more than 4 buttons.  If you reduce the number of buttons in those positions, you'll have more flexibility in how you place those players.

And finally, I would get rid of the three buttons above the trackball, but that's just me.  They're useless for gameplay, and they'll just confuse people who are using your machine.  If you really want to map a couple of buttons to mouse functions, then you could use just about anything (like three of the P1 buttons -- or just 2, do you need 3?).  Of course this means that you'll have to enable the mouse in any game that might use those buttons.  One solution that I used was to build two buttons onto the underside of the control panel, and assign the mouse buttons there.  They were there for me to use, but the average person who used the machine had no idea they were even there (nor did they need to).

-Jeff "etumor"

[IntruderAlert]

One solution that I used was to build two buttons onto the underside of the control panel, and assign the mouse buttons there.

[CheffoJeffo]

I really think multiple CPs is the way to go, but if like me you have space and money constraints, then 1 full 4 player is what I opted for...

No, no, no ... multiple CABINETS is the way to go ... 

Cheers.