Robotron Control Panel

[terabit]

Looking for any input on my Robotron inspired control panel. I have a old Knuckle Heads cabinet and I am going with a robotron theme. It was a 4 player and I am converting to a 2 player. I have 2 eight ways, one spinner (top center), one track ball (bottom center), one joystick with fire button on top (top right), one four way (top left). Let me know if it looks like I am leaving anything out.

Later
Glenn

[Flinkly]

looks like it's gonna be tough to use all the controls...  those top ones for one thing seem to be really far in, while they are also going to be hard to get to the appropriate buttons.

[Bones]

That looks absolutely freaking awesome. 4 way joystick games are amongst my favourites so I would probably make the position of this joystick a little more user friendly, but apart from that, I wouldn't change a thing.

It feels very retro. Well done!

[terabit]

Here is a layout without the graphics and with labels.


Here are links to both of the above
http://www.lhdesign.net/robotron_control_panel.jpg
http://www.lhdesign.net/robotron_control_panel2.jpg

[terabit]

 :oOpps, I put the wrong photo. Here is the cantrol panel without the graphics.

Thanks
Glenn

[brophog]

I question how easy it is to play with the top two joysticks having to reach over the other controls and having little place to rest your arm.

[knuttz]

Why do you have Player 1-4 buttons at the top right if you only have a two player panel?  Besides that it looks really nice.

[Bomber]

Makes more sense to have player 1 coin and player start in the top left and player 2 coin and player 2 start in the top right. Otherwise player one leans over to hit start and player two has to lean over to insert coin. Wouldn't want to have to do that during a crucial stage of a game. There could be tears....

[Lilwolf]

Few items..

1) remove the mouse buttons.  I can't you being able to use them with the trackball or the spinner.  Just have them use player 2 buttons.  If you want to keep the mouse buttons available for windows, the just have player 2 buttons 1 - 3 be the mouse buttons.

2) dont - DONT - add the player 1 - 4 buttons on the top right unless you can disable them.  WHY?  your playing street fighter alpha with your best friend... your kickin some ass and have him stunned.  your running up to do some special move... and he grabs joystick above him and you start moving in the wrong direction.... then he hits extra buttons so you cant get your move off.  REALLY this happens!  all fairs in love and war when beers involved!

3) Make a mockup with cheap wood (you can get press board from home depot for like 4 bucks for a 4x8 sheet.  Its crap but it works for testing a layout.  Then try it.  I think you might have some trouble with your spinner... but I LOVE the look and if you can get away with it I think you should keep it if at all possible.  but if you hate using the control its not worth it.  I'm worried aout the 4 way and the joystick+fire.  I think the player 1 and 2 joysticks will get in the way.  You want to be able to lean on a control panel sometimes.

It might work out with removing the extra buttons at the top (where I would see them being useful with the 4 way not so much on the joystick+fire) so maybe add a button or two over there.   Then move the joy+fire to the right some so your arm goes to theright of player 2 joy (since I bet you will use that with the spinner or the trackball most often.  Its really too bad you cant buy the top fire wico ball tops anymore.  They would make it so you could remove the joystick and everything else I think would fall into place.  I would also move the coin and start buttons on both sides.   Who was making those again?  They might be able to tell you how the did it..

Anyway, I think your artwork is GREAT and I like the bottom 1/2 in design.  I just think you aren't going to be happy with USING the top 1/2... even though it looks REALLY cool.

(btw, consider hotswap?)

[terabit]

Here is a new layout with some modifications. Thanks for all the advice

Why do you have Player 1-4 buttons at the top right if you only have a two player panel? Besides that it looks really nice.

The reason I had 4 player buttons on a 2 player cabinet is for games like Track and Field. It is a 4 player game that plays with 2 controls. I think I may hide the 3 and 4 player buttons because it will be rare that they are used. Lilwolf, thanks for all the input, I think I will mock up a cheap panel just for testing before I get the panel printed.

http://www.lhdesign.net/robotron_control_panel3.jpg
Later
Glenn

[SeanCyrusTowel]

as far as the player 3 and player 4 buttons go, you might even want to add a shift key instead, that way you can use the shift key and the Player 1 (for player 3) and Player 2 (for player 4)...  Just a thought... but that just gets rid of one button....  unless the shift is hidden.