New arcade hardware - poll

[RayB]

i wonder how much current the original Qbert knocker drew. IIRC, it was much softer than a pinball "popper".

Nah, it was the same loud knock as a pinball "free game" knock. Gottlieb also made pinball machines. They used the same parts.

[Quarters]

Nah, it was the same loud knock as a pinball "free game" knock. Gottlieb also made pinball machines. They used the same parts.

True.

The first time I played qbert it was right beside a pin. The knock was a suprise to me, and very confusing for the guy playing the pin.

My vote goes to #1) 270/360 wheel.

[jfunk]

YOKE, please 

[captainpotato]

I vote for the steering wheel.

Regarding buttons for Spy Hunter, you could always use the shifters on the back of the wheel (which I presume would be there for 270-degree wheel games), or buttons on the front (on the spokes of the wheel).

[Minwah]

Regarding buttons for Spy Hunter, you could always use the shifters on the back of the wheel (which I presume would be there for 270-degree wheel games)

270 deg wheels only have paddle shifters on modern games...I would rather not have these, and use a seperate shifter.  A button or two on the wheel itself could be handy tho...

[captainpotato]

270 deg wheels only have paddle shifters on modern games...I would rather not have these, and use a seperate shifter.  A button or two on the wheel itself could be handy tho...

A shifter would be nice as well (or even instead of), but only if it were integrated into the same piece as the wheel is.

The buttons would also come in handy for games that have turbo boost options as well (of which there are a few), or other car/shooting games.

[Popcorrin]

 As for the Optical Only version of a 360/270 wheel... its probably  not the best idea.   As optics can lose count - and then become uncalibrated.    Ive got a design which uses optics and a pot,  and is easily switchable.    Have them contact me,  and I might send them the design...  (if they truely are serious and have the ability to pull it off)

 

Logitech has been doing optical for awhile.  The momo for instance.

[Xiaou2]

 Spy Hunter  NEEDS 4  buttons at very least.     5 if you count the weapons  van... but you can get away without that as its just used  to start the game.

 It also Needs a 2 way shifter - that is seperated from the wheel.   As there  is no  way you can keep your hands busy  with  all those buttons,  and then try to  toggle the shifter with another button.   It gets too frantic, and you end up making too many mistakes that way.

 Buttons: 

 - Machine Guns
 - Smoke
 - Oil Slick
 - Missiles

 - Van (start)
 
 - Shifter  Hi/Lo

 
I think from these replys..  that its probably  better to just produce the Yoke instead.   Or produce a yoke and a 360 degree wheel - and not combine the two types.

 The reason is, the complexity,  cost, functionality..ect.   People really want a nice yoke.. and  they are much harder to find, as well as very expensive to purchase.   

 360 wheel games can be played just fine with  spinners..  or you can  grab them fairly cheaply on ebay.   It would be nice to have a new quality 360 wheel as well.. but ,the cose may be too high to justify.   If one were made, it should be high res,  with  the option to reduce the output to lower res  just in  case  there are games that
do not function well like that.    Many 360 games  used a gearing system  to increase the resolution..  but I know some that did not such as the Supersprint games. (i  love them

  A yoke should have 4 buttons like the starwars version.. and have each able to be mapped to different buttons.   That should be great for most driving games, even Spy Hunter. 

 A pedal input port should be added to the thing.. so one can hook analog pedals to it for driving games.. as using the vertical axis for gas dosnt control very well.

 Its got be built very tough to be able to handle the side to side forces from slamming the wheel at its extremes.  (use heavy duty rubber bumpers)

[sWampy]

Is there any low power, speaker/amp that could simulate the pop without a relay?   Some of these little panic/fire alarm things are damn loud and in the put in the correct enclosure, maybe something like a small sonotube sub you could get some pretty good base.

[Santoro]

270/360 wheel, I'd pay up to $150 US for a solid reliable one.

[yugffuts]

360 wheel games can be played just fine with  spinners..  or you can  grab them fairly cheaply on ebay.   It would be nice to have a new quality 360 wheel as well.. but ,the cose may be too high to justify.

I think the whole point is to create a 360/270 combo wheel, so people can play all types of racing games without the need to switch panels.   I also don't think having 5 buttons would necessarily kill the whole project.

My vote goes for the 270/360 steering wheel.

[psychopanda]

I like them all, in order of preference:

Q-bert knocker
Rotary 8-way joy
Yoke controller
Racing wheel

Depending on the price and quality of the product I'd be more likely to buy the top two.

[RobotronNut]

if you're going to design a 270/360, why not go all the way, and give it a second axis, like a star wars yoke, which would be lockable when not needed?

now *THAT* would be cool...

[yugffuts]

That's been suggested, but that would take a serious engineering effort, I would think.  Not to mention it isn't one of the choices.  :-)

Can someone explain the interest in the knocker to me?  I guess it's cool, but it's not effecting any gameplay at all.  At least the other options will make more games playable (or at least, more playable).

[RobotronNut]

if you're going to design a 270/360, why not go all the way, and give it a second axis, like a star wars yoke, which would be lockable when not needed?

That's been suggested, but that would take a serious engineering effort, I would think...

"serious engineering effort" is what separates the macho engineers from the girlie-man engineers. 

[hanelyp]

Any particular reason restricted optical is bad?  If it had an aligment sensor, the count could be made absolute like a pot. 

And if the MAME core had a code fix to use that alignment sensor (720 joystick)...

I figure the alignment sensor would be used by the interface hardware to convert the incremental encoder into an absolute position to feed to the computer.

[miles2912]

None.  I just made a CP and don't want to start another!!     .. ok tough call on the list but the rotary stick then a yoke/wheel combo.  I live knockers but not necessarily in my games.

Don

[Xiaou2]

 Not too pretty.. but might work   heh 


 Thoughts???



 (not to be used without my permission    should it actually be viable   )


edit:  btw... the estimated cost?   Probably $500 !   heh

[RobotronNut]

i was imagining a smallish round wheel, where the whole wheel could pivot around a second axis. this would be lockable into its zero position for games that do not use the second axis.

another possibility would be a yoke with a wheel that could be dropped in above it, rather than permanently installed below it, as in your design.

[Xiaou2]

 I do not think the control would be as nice or accurate if the entire wheel assembly tilted.

 Youd also have to raise the wheel  very far from the Control panel  to accomdate for the wheel hitting the panel from the tilt.  Locking mechanism wouldnt be easy.  It would be hard to move arround an entire  wheel assembly 'Swiftly' -  because of the weight.

  Also, the footprint  would be pretty huge.   Oh..  and more importantly, the pivot point would be all wrong.. thus making it very slow and awkward. 

If you want small, then stick  to a spinner for 360 anyway.   The main problem here, is that everyone wants something different.   Yet the people who Really want the True experience and perfect control will not buy something with compromises.


 

 btw- the Yoke here is not Under the wheel.  Its part of the wheel itself - Centered into it.

[RobotronNut]

if you simply made a wheel about the same diameter as a star wars yoke is wide, or slightly larger, i don't think it would be too heavy or pivot so far as to bang the panel. add some slight ridges for your fingers to catch when they're positioned properly for 270 and yoke games.

[Xiaou2]

 Dude... you just do not get it.     You seem to have no 'mechanical'  clue.   

 You cant drop the Y AXIS PIVOT POINT  that low... and expect to be able to control a game well with it that way.    Especially a game which moves very quickly such as Starwars.

 Anyone else who HAS a clue wish to reply?   Thanks.

 

[Duster72]

Frankenpanels are bad enough.  Do we really need a Frankenwheel?  Yeah, that would look GREAT on a cab!


BTW, I would buy at least 2 270/360 wheels if they were under $150.

[RobotronNut]

You cant drop the Y AXIS PIVOT POINT  that low... and expect to be able to control a game well with it that way.

with the wheel i have in mind, the relationship of your hands to the Y axis pivot point would be exactly the same as with a star wars yoke. it's just a star wars yoke with the handles replaced by a wheel. why would it be harder to control a game?