is there an 'ultimate' layout for 4-player CP?

[CitznFish]

some sort of consensus?  I am totally divided between 2player 4 joysticks and 4 payer 6 joysticks (robotron 2 player, Smash TV 2player). I would love a 4player CP that allowed me to play all games except star wars and driving games (no wheel or Yoke)

I figured there must by now be some sort of consensus on what works well on a 4 player CP.  I am also debating a slikstik 4 player or CO2 as well but I don't think the 4 player accommodates 2 player Robotron or Smash TV.

why does this feel like the most agonizing decision i have ever tried to make?

[SirPoonga]

Well, my opinion is to not make a 4player panel.  I got around that on my cab by 1) interchangable control panels 2) usb ports for player 3 and 4 gamepads.

[CitznFish]

Well, my opinion is to not make a 4player panel.  I got around that on my cab by 1) interchangable control panels 2) usb ports for player 3 and 4 gamepads.

yeah, but there's nothing like 4 people slapping buttons wildly while trying to stay alive.  

Interchangable 4player to 2 player may be a good way to go. I haven't read or seen much on how to make a CP interchangeable.

[SirPoonga]

WEll, that's if oyu get 4 people together to play the saem few games:)


Making interchangable panels is talked about all the time here.

[CitznFish]

Why can't this be easy and you all just say "Here CitznFish, this is the best 4 player CP pattern. We all use it and never have a complaint or wish to change it. It will fulfill all your gaming desires and more!"  

[SirPoonga]

Because everyone is different:)

[eightbit]

Why can't this be easy and you all just say "Here CitznFish, this is the best 4 player CP pattern. We all use it and never have a complaint or wish to change it. It will fulfill all your gaming desires and more!"  

Every control panel is a compromise. No one has built a all in one magic panel yet. Well some people think they have but then they find something missing and its not perfect any more.

Many people here have built swappable control panels or rotating control panels. For an example of how to make it swappable check out my Willow cab at mame.hower.us. There are only a couple games that use more than 4 buttons for players 3 and 4, there are only a half dozen games that use 4 buttons for players 3 and 4.

What you have to decide is what games you want to play. Then figure out what controls you need to play those games. Then you have to decide how much physical room do you have. Keep in mind you need to build this thing so that it will fit through a door. Most times with a 4 player cp it means you need to make the CP removable.

So for us to really give you more specific suggestions you need to give us more information.

[cdbrown]

Why can't this be easy and you all just say "Here CitznFish, this is the best 4 player CP pattern. We all use it and never have a complaint or wish to change it. It will fulfill all your gaming desires and more!"  

I THINK this is the best 4 player layout http://home.iprimus.com.au/craigrb/images/cheap%20panel.JPG but many people don't agree with me on this.  I have orientated the joysticks in the same direction for the dual joystick games.  Player 1 uses sticks 3 and 1, player 2 uses sticks 2 and 4.

I will also be building a
2 player only panel which will have 2 t-sticks and 2 spinners and
2 player trackball panel
to try and cover most games.  

You need to think about what is going to suit YOU.  If you want to be able to have a four player panel and still be able to play dual stick games then the way I have done it will work.  It's not ideal by any means as the joysticks are a fair distance apart and not in line.  If you have the space and the money then put 2 more sticks on the panel.  Or have two panels, one for 4 player and the other for 2 player with dual sticks.  You have to find a comprimise to suit your needs.

Good luck
-cdbrown

[CitznFish]

I don't think the size of the cabinet or CP will be an issue. My house has double doors and I will be building it in the garage. Easy access to build and place into my future game room.

The reason I am so hung up on 4 player CP is because I do have friends who will come over and play Gauntlet, Quartet (My personal Favorite), etc.

I was leaning towards something similar to SlikStik Quad unit (or actually buying a customized version) but I want to also play 2-player Smash TV and Robotron. I guess I could add 2 more joysticks but they would have to be rotary joysticks for games like Discs of Tron and it might make 2 player Robotron difficult (or impossible) because the only logical placement would be Player 1 Joystick 2 and Player 2 Joystick 2.

maybe I am asking for the world here when all i need is a country?

[AceTKK]

This is the closest thing I've seen to a perfect 4 player setup:

http://www.cybercoma.com/supercade/index.shtml

-Ace-

[SirPoonga]

No, supercade is bad.  You aren;t going to play bowling and golf games on it with comfort.  Plus reaching over controls will get annoying after awhile.  cool attempt though.

[cdbrown]

The reason I am so hung up on 4 player CP is because I do have friends who will come over and play Gauntlet, Quartet (My personal Favorite), etc.

I know my friends are waiting for me to finish so we can have big nba jam sessions despite the large number of people on the board continually giving reasons to why not to have 4 players.  If you want 4 players then go for 4.  So what if you only get to use all 4 players once in a while - at least you'll be able to have all 4 on one panel when the time comes.

I was leaning towards something similar to SlikStik Quad unit (or actually buying a customized version) but I want to also play 2-player Smash TV and Robotron. I guess I could add 2 more joysticks but they would have to be rotary joysticks for games like Discs of Tron and it might make 2 player Robotron difficult (or impossible) because the only logical placement would be Player 1 Joystick 2 and Player 2 Joystick 2.

maybe I am asking for the world here when all i need is a country?

I have rotary joysticks for players 1 and 2 and supers for 3 and 4 (if that helps you in any way).

Cheers
-cdbrown

[CitznFish]

The reason I am so hung up on 4 player CP is because I do have friends who will come over and play Gauntlet, Quartet (My personal Favorite), etc.

I know my friends are waiting for me to finish so we can have big nba jam sessions despite the large number of people on the board continually giving reasons to why not to have 4 players.  If you want 4 players then go for 4.  So what if you only get to use all 4 players once in a while - at least you'll be able to have all 4 on one panel when the time comes.

I was leaning towards something similar to SlikStik Quad unit (or actually buying a customized version) but I want to also play 2-player Smash TV and Robotron. I guess I could add 2 more joysticks but they would have to be rotary joysticks for games like Discs of Tron and it might make 2 player Robotron difficult (or impossible) because the only logical placement would be Player 1 Joystick 2 and Player 2 Joystick 2.

maybe I am asking for the world here when all i need is a country?

I have rotary joysticks for players 1 and 2 and supers for 3 and 4 (if that helps you in any way).

Cheers
-cdbrown

Do you have any specs or pics of your finished CP? Also you have a total of 4 joysticks if i read your response right. I am thinking a total of 6. I figure my CP will be 48" wide at a minimum...

[jerryjanis]

When figuring out how to make my control panel, I really want to avoid certain compromises.  I think I've got it all designed, and I'm partway through building it.

The following must be accomodated:
2 player karate champ layout
4 player joystick games
2 Player Street Fighter games
4 spinners (Warlords)
2 (or more) trackballs (marble madness)
Can't be too tight of a squeeze

After scrapping plan after plan, I finally came up with this(sorry for the nasty pictures):


For each of the 4 players, I can remove the controller (notice the ~5-inch square around the joystick) and drop in whatever controller I want.  One really nice thing about doing it this way is that I can have all the different combinations that I think I'll ever want without having a whole roomful of 25-inch-wide control panels.  I can do it with one boxful of joysticks/trackballs/spinners.  Also, this setup will accomodate some of the really absurd two player games like games with dual joysticks and trigger/thumb buttons.

I kinda figured that most of the time there won't be 4 players around, so I'll also have a second more sober-sized panel for only 2 players.  I figure that for 2 player games, the 4-player setup that I have won't be ideal because you wouldn't be facing the monitor straight-on (I'm thinking that in marble madness with the trackballs it could pose a particular problem).



With the 25-inch-wide panels being removable, I won't need to use as many buttons because the two large control panels will mostly be just a frame for the 25-inch panels.  If need be, I could drop in a whole nother strange control panel that doesn't fit the rest.  I can rotate the panel upside-down if I want to switch between right/left layout.  A last nice feature is that a 25-inch panel fits perfectly in my keyboard platform for my computer desk:



The two biggest drawbacks are that I probably won't manage to make it look very pretty, and that it is taking me a lot of time to build/design.  Between planning the wiring and the woodworking, it sure it a lot of work.

I'll have a full writeup in a few years when it's all completed...  It seems that I spend an awful amount of time playing the games instead of just building the darned thing.

[cdbrown]

Do you have any specs or pics of your finished CP? Also you have a total of 4 joysticks if i read your response right. I am thinking a total of 6. I figure my CP will be 48" wide at a minimum...

My panel is a 4 player 4 stick panel with player 1 and 2 (middle) having optical rotary sticks.  There are some plans on my website but haven't decided completely on my current spacings of players and space between front of panel and first button so I haven't got the final plans there.  http://home.iprimus.com.au/craigrb.  My panel is just over 47"

Cheers
-cdbrown

[Luxury]

Im finishing up a 4 player - 6 button each cp right now.  The reason is because I usually don't have just 1 friend come over - its usually 2.  And I dont want anybody to feel left out.  I also went with 6 buttons because I've got a DC in there as well, and DC has 6 buttons.  I'm hoping that it will work out nicely - we will see.  

[PoDunkMoFo]

I think what we are all trying to say is your opinion of the best 4 player layout is as good as any other.  Build one and then post it and we can all add it to our list of possible 'ultimate' layouts.  We can't wait to see it.

[BombProofPlane]

http://als.to/gem/smclan/arcade/arcade.html

i like my panel

[Brax]

"is there an 'ultimate' layout for 4-player CP?"

Short answer:
No.

Other short answer:
Yours.