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My Control Panel
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jelwell:

--- Quote from: cpetzol2 on October 12, 2006, 11:48:06 pm ---Super Sprint is pretty much what I had in mind, but the overall panel will be bigger, and will not have steering wheels.

Are you guys saying that angling players 3 and 4 is bad because it will be hard mentally to be those players. Like, since horizontal on the TV screen is actually diagonal on those joysticks, it will be hard to play them initially, since things wont quite be calibrated the way it would be if you are straight on.

--- End quote ---

I'm not critiquing your design, I've just never seen it before. I seriously doubt it would make game play any worse - it might make it better, but I'm not sure how. And the discussion of the planes is mostly unrelated to the discussion of the joystick angle - see below.


--- Quote ---If this is not what you guys are implying, why is it such a debated topic on whether or not to angle players 3 and 4. Is it a matter of convention, or some physical constraint that makes it difficult to play like that.

--- End quote ---
The debated topic isn't about the planes or the slope. It's "Whether to mount your P3 & P4 joysticks at the same angle as your P1 & P2 joysticks". Many 4 player games (in the arcade) don't, many do.

Joseph Elwell.
ahofle:

--- Quote from: cpetzol2 on October 12, 2006, 11:48:06 pm ---Are you guys saying that angling players 3 and 4 is bad because it will be hard mentally to be those players. Like, since horizontal on the TV screen is actually diagonal on those joysticks, it will be hard to play them initially, since things wont quite be calibrated the way it would be if you are straight on.

If this is not what you guys are implying, why is it such a debated topic on whether or not to angle players 3 and 4. Is it a matter of convention, or some physical constraint that makes it difficult to play like that.

--- End quote ---

Yes, that's what I'm saying.  The vast majority of 3 and 4 player arcade games have the sticks all facing the same direction (TMNT, Simpsons, Gauntlet, X-Men, etc).  With angled sticks, you may have players 3 and 4 having difficulty controlling their player in games.  Some people don't think it's bad to angle, but you should probably do some research (or better yet a mockup) and decide for yourself.  See this thread for more info:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=53415.0

As far as your actual design, I think it sounds very interesting.  Please keep us updated on what you end up doing.
Dervacumen:
I think the design would look great but I would try it only if you are comfortable with P3 and P4 not facing the same direction as P1 and P2.  I think the design really lends itself best to driving type games where the angle at which the controls face the plane of the monitor screen doesn't matter.  In other words, with a steering wheel there isn't really an up or down, so there is less confusion to the player regardless of what angle they are viewing the monitor from.  If you turn the wheel right, your on screen car turns right.  With joysticks, if you have angled the controls other than parallel to the plane of the monitor screen, some players may have trouble when they push their stick up, and the onscreen guy doesn't move the same direction as the throw of the joystick.


shardian:

--- Quote from: Dervacumen on October 13, 2006, 12:41:30 pm ---I think the design would look great but I would try it only if you are comfortable with P3 and P4 not facing the same direction as P1 and P2.  I think the design really lends itself best to driving type games where the angle at which the controls face the plane of the monitor screen doesn't matter.  In other words, with a steering wheel there isn't really an up or down, so there is less confusion to the player regardless of what angle they are viewing the monitor from.  If you turn the wheel right, your on screen car turns right.  With joysticks, if you have angled the controls other than parallel to the plane of the monitor screen, some players may have trouble when they push their stick up, and the onscreen guy doesn't move the same direction as the throw of the joystick.




--- End quote ---

Personally, I feel this is a non-issue. If a person can't orient themselves within 5 seconds to which way is up on a control, then they have no business messing with the thing.

A benefit to having all aligned joysticks is you can play 2 player smash tv.
cpetzol2:
I appreciate all of the input, it is pretty helpful.  My original plan was to have up as up, and right as right on the 3rd and 4th players. I dont want to do any of that angling nonsense.

What I had in mind is more analagous to playing xbox with multiple people at your friends house. You get shafted and have to sit in the chair way off to the side. That doesnt affect my Halo game at all. Up still moves the same direction as everyone else, your eyes just have a wierd angle at the tv. And you may say smash tv will be difficult, but I have played Fusion frenzy for the xbox many times when I am way off to the side of the tv, and I never get my calibration messed up.

Am I gifted? I think not, but maybe it is difficult for some people. I never really considered the actual physical constraints of angling p3 and p4.  Is there some aspect to this that I am missing. It seems to me that it really wouldnt be a problem. I mean, you dont always sit right in front of the tv when you play madden or duke it out in fusion frenzy. Why would this be different. I am just trying to understand your guys' input. I am glad this was brought up though, because i never really considered it, and I guess it could be  problem.

My question was one more designated on artwork, and getting this uneven control panel to work out properly if i get a print out from MAMEMarquees. Keep up the discussion on angling p3 and p4, but if anyone can give me something on covering my control panel, that would be great too.

I thank you all for your insight, it has definitly made me think of things I would have otherwise ignored.
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