Please critique Revisions 1 and 2 of my Control Panel

[dislecksea]

OK – based upon the comments so far I have come up with 2 alternative control panel layouts.  Here is the first.  Again, we are talking 43 inches wide and 16.75 inches deep.  The different color in the picture represents the amount the panel overhangs the base.

2P – 4 Stick panel
* This is a two player layout with two joysticks for each player for 2 player Smash TV, etc.
* Some of the controls that would normally be centered (e.g., trackball) were shifted right.
* Each player has 2 joysticks which are 8.25 inches apart.
* The P1 and P2 main sticks are 18 inches apart, center to center.
* The center of the buttons are 3 inches to the right from the center of the main P1 and P2 sticks.
* I have lowered the angle of the buttons.  I do prefer angled buttons but perhaps my last design was a bit too much.
* The trigger stick and the spinner are 6 inches to the right/left plus 6 inches above the center of the trackball.
* Obviously then, the trigger stick and the spinner are 12 inches from each other, center to center.

[dislecksea]

Here is the second panel.

2P – 2 Stick panel
* Here everything is centered/symmetrical.
* This is a two player layout with two joysticks for each player.
* The P1 and P2 main sticks are 24.25 inches apart, center to center
* The center of the buttons are 3 inches to the right from the center of the main P1 and P2 sticks.
* I have lowered the angle of the buttons.  I do prefer angled buttons but perhaps my last design was a bit too much.
* The trigger stick and the spinner are 7 inches to the right/left plus 5 inches above the center of the trackball.
* Obviously then, the trigger stick and the spinner are 14 inches from each other, center to center.

Thanks for your thoughts and comments!

[Timoe]

for the 4 stick option, you might want to put player 1 sticks on each side of the player 1 buttons.  This will give you some symetry.

Dont worry you dont often slam the trackball from side to side, more frequently its back and forth , so you shouldnt be bumping the sticks.

Besides, at 43" you've got plenty of room to space it out.

[sphetr2]

Actually, I think that on both of them, there is too much free space. I think the panel is too big.

And I like design #2 more because it's symmetrical.

[dislecksea]

Timoe,
Based upon what you are saying, it would seem that when playing a 1 player 1 stick game, a right handed player such as myself would wind up playing on the far left stick.  I would think that would be less than ideal.  How do you have yours set up?

Sphetr2,
I am with you on the too much free space thing.  In my original design I had this as a 4 player panel.  However, I received suggestions that it was too small for a 4P CP, so I was looking at 2P options.  You may ask why I don't build my CP smaller?  Well, it was pre-built with the cab and I would rather use it than try to retrofit something else.

Thanks for the comments so far.  Keep 'em coming!

[sphetr2]

In my original design I had this as a 4 player panel.  However, I received suggestions that it was too small for a 4P CP, so I was looking at 2P options. 

Maybe just give less buttons (i.e. 1 or 2) to players 3 and 4?

Or make a 3p CP. Yes, it's a little strange, but battletoads and other games used 3 player CPs. That way you wouldn't have that issue w/ too much free space, but it also wouldn't be too crowded.

[Timoe]

Here is a good example

[kelemvor]

I don't think I'm going to have 2 joysticks for each player so I'd go more with design 2 (although your description says it's 2 per player I think you meant 1 per player.

However it doesn't look symetrical.  Player 2 is way too far to the outside.

WHat should be symetrical is where the user will stand.  Each player shoudl stand the same distance from the center.  In the 2 by 1 player 1 would be standing right where the point in the blue area is while player 2 would be standing almost at the corner of the CP.

It there's all that extra room on the ouside of player one, I'd cut that same amount off the other side and then move player 2 in towards the middle so the center of each control grouping is symetrical from the middle.

[dislecksea]

Kelemvor,
Interesting point.  I should be centering on player "stations" rather than centering on joysticks, where each "station" is a combination of both the joysticks and the buttons.

I had not thought of that.

Thanks.