Newbie Control Panel Discussion -

[Senator]

Mine started as a quest for Golden Tee - alas - too expensive for my game room.

However, my quest led me to discover MAME...holysh... this thing is awesome.

So yada, yada, yada, I'm now designing my control panel.

Look thru all this stuff and decide on the basic, Golden Tee thing with 3" Happ USB w/ 3-Button in the middle, Magstik Plus on either side with 6 buttons each, the design is all over the place so I figure it must work pretty good.

Couple of questions for you talented individuals

-I've seen a couple of seven button designs with the 7th added in the lower left of the usual 6-button.  I really wonder about this because, while I'm doing the 6-button thing for maximum flexibility and ability to play Mortal Combat etc., I really only want the classics, Pac, Centi, Milli, Frogger, Missile Command, Joust, D Kong.  It seems to me that a lot of those include one fire button to the left of the joystick and that's it, while I'm planning on putting all 6 on the right.  Should I add a 7th on the left of the joystick (yes I'm right handed)?  My thought is that I would need 2 configs. I am using a Key Wiz Max.  Could I change from button 1 on the right to the left by using the shazaam key?

-I'm wondering about admin buttons.  I plan to add at least an extra 3 on the CP to utilize the trackball USB buttons, but I'm wondering what else I really need and how many to hide on the sides, etc.  While I have sought the classic arcade games for years, I am stunned that I have only now discovered MAME.  I think that I will still have considerable programming etc to do after the cabinet is built.  I plan on a hidden keyboard under the CP, so what do I still need up top just to run and admin MAME?

-Esc button on CP?  I recognize the objections to having this on top and I agree.  How else to you get out of one Mame game and into another?  I suppose this is one that I would place on the side panel of the CP.  Opinions?

-Do I really need 2 coin buttons?  I would like to just have one next to the 1-player start if I can.  Does that work?

Thanks in advance.

[Fozzy The Bear]

This has been asked NUMEROUS times..... Please try using the search facility on the forum.

The seventh button is actually to allow the bottom row to act like the classic Neo-Geo MVS button layout of 4 buttons in an arcing curve. If you don't like fighters much, then don't bother with it.

Yes you do need two coin buttons! some games recognise dedicated inputs for each player credit.

You suggest putting your escape key on the side of your panel... You're pinball buttons go there, if you're having any.

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

[Chris G]

I'm guilty of having asked about the 7th button recently... here's some discussion

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=63275.0

I, for one, am a proponent of an ESC-type button on the CP.

[SavannahLion]

I'm an opponent of admin buttons on the CP, but I wouldn't begrudge or apply demerits to others CP's because of the addition of admin buttons. I just don't want the admin buttons on my CP. The CP I'm designing make adding admin buttons an unwanted complexity. Plus I've got a kid who probably would just smack buttons all over the place and get the computer into an undesirable state anyways.

[bmrust]

the coin buttons depend on the games you play...

MOST that I have come across don't care where the coin was inserted, as long as there is money, anyone can use it...

however, a game like Gauntlet requires you to put coins in for each player (its a 4 player game, each putting in their own money for their own life/continues/etc.

so, if all the games you ever want to play only require 1 coin slot....go w/ 1 coin button