Top 10 Mame mistakes that keep getting copied from one machine to another.

[btp2k2]

Yeah....I am not a big admin button fan. As hard as it is, what with all the different control types needed to play a majority of games correctly, I prefer a clean panel

[DrewKaree]

If strangers visit my house they can read the posted instruction card. 

Got a pic of that instruction card?

[Crowquill]

Here you go. It's also available as a PDF for download over at localarcade.com (the arcade art library). I only included the basic controls people would need to play the game. I purposely left out 'pause' and 'insert coin' since you can't pause a true arcade game and I have a working coin door. Holding the 7th bottom-left button and pressing start pauses and holding down on the joystick while pressing start inserts coins. I figure it's kind of like knowing cheat codes for games. The 'exit to menu' command is probably overkill, but since I have a Frogger control panel, the start buttons are on the front where they can get bumped. I wanted to make sure I didn't exit out on accident.

EDIT: Added a pic of the control panel. This pic is from a short while back, but you can at least see the general layout. It now has shiny buttons and all of it's bolts.

[KenToad]

I still think your exit to menu combo is too dangerous for my crowd of gameplayers.  They're experts at pushing everything in sight at once, especially during fighting games.  I'm a big fan of out of sight administration buttons, either above the marquee or hidden above the bezel, somewhere, anywhere, just not on the CP itself. 

[ChadTower]

Admin buttons on commercial cabs are usually inside the cab. 

[KenToad]

And they're usually not buttons, they're switches, right?  Nothing makes me more uncomfortable than messing than some funky combination of hard to switch switches.   

[ChadTower]

No, they're buttons quite often.  Small buttons. 

What is a button other than a way to open or close a switch, anyway?

[KenToad]

I guess buttons are momentary, either default on or default off when they're not depressed, whereas a switch, i.e. dips can be either on or off without ever being momentary, or am I confused?   

[ChadTower]

You're not confused, that is correct.  Standard buttons are over momentary contact switches.  There are about as many types of switch as you could possibly dream up a need.

[ChadTower]

Just thought of one that should probably be #1 on the entire list:

Building half the cab before the design is finished.  So often we see guys still making design decisions 85% of the way into the project and it never fails to make the project more painful and longer than it had to be.

[Tiger-Heli]

Just thought of one that should probably be #1 on the entire list:

Building half the cab before the design is finished.  So often we see guys still making design decisions 85% of the way into the project and it never fails to make the project more painful and longer than it had to be.

And the related - Playing the arcade before the cabinet is done - which leads to a cab with no marquee or sideart, but no more work gets done on it b/c the owner is too busy trying to top his Galaga hi-score.

[btp2k2]

OK, that said....is a cab considered "Not done" without sideart?

Marquee? Yeah....that one is pretty easy to say "not done" if it is missing that.....but with sideart...a little tougher. I have a little nook in my bonus room that perfectly fits three cabs (It's kinda cool cause it reminds me of how they used to line em up in the arcades). Because they are side by side and the ones on the outside see the wall, are my cabs considered unfinished cause I didn't do sideart?

I think art is another one of those personal preference things....a marquee is a requirement, otherwise you would have a big open space with a light staring at you....and probably a good CPO....anything else though I think is up to the building/user.

[ChadTower]

A cab is done when all design elements are constructed, tested, and are fully working.  It is only "not done" without sideart if sideart was in the design plan.

[btp2k2]

Ah....good call!

That is why I am rebuilding my first cab....it suffered from the "I just want to play!" problem...

[Tiger-Heli]

A cab is done when all design elements are constructed, tested, and are fully working.  It is only "not done" without sideart if sideart was in the design plan.

Agreed - I was more referring to the cab with no sideart, paint, t-molding, bezel, marquee, lower panel, but the monitor, computer, and joysticks and buttons and encoder are in place, so its in effect "done", b/c it's now playable.

[Chris G]

Wow, I ignore this post for a couple days and it blossoms into a novella ripe with intrigue, retribution, and a warm-and-fuzzy reconciliation.  Nice!!!

I purposely left out 'pause' and 'insert coin' since you can't pause a true arcade game and I have a working coin door.

I've been thinking of having some "hidden" combo pause button setup, but after a few days of the wife yapping at me in the middle of a (inenvitably high-scoring) game, I need instant pause-ability.  We just didn't have to deal with that kind of stuff back in the day!

I agree that a number of the original list are personal preference.  The only guideline which rises to "Commandment-level" for me would be positioning the joysticks too far apart to comfortably play Robotron...

 
Chris

[ChadTower]

If you pause the game it's not a real high score, IMO... can't pause in an arcade if someone yaps at you.

[Chris G]

Next you're going to tell me I have to count all those 2 foot putts I miss... 

[ChadTower]

I used to before I decided golf wasn't for me.

[Tiger-Heli]

can't pause in an arcade if someone yaps at you.

But you can slug the guy in the arcade but not the wife, so that doesn't count either.

Personally, I like dedicated Coin, Start, Pause, and Escape buttons, but that's it . . .

And O and K, but that's it . . .

And maybe F11, and F12, and F2, and F3, but definitely none beyond that . . .

Except . . .

Okay, this is getting silly now, can't have silliness on this forum . . .

[RyoriNoTetsujin]

I'm posting in here just to get my posts up so I can be a "veteran" ... 

And to announce(!) ... that after having read this thread(!) ... I will not be "announcing" my cabinet(!)

 

[Tiger-Heli]

I'm posting in here just to get my posts up so I can be a "veteran" ... 

You're supposed to do that on the P&R or EE forums, but we'll forgive you this time since you're a rookie. 

[Chris G]

But you can slug the guy in the arcade but not the wife, so that doesn't count either.

    I almost wrote that same thought earlier...

[ChadTower]

Dude, if you would slug a guy over a quarter, you need help   That said, I've seen some guys get seriously pissed off that their session was interrupted, and never quite understood it.  It's supposed to be fun!    

[fixedpigs]

maybe they were in training...

[Santoro]

I wonder how many migraines that avatar has triggered?  ---Cleveland steamer---. 

[Chris G]

Dude, if you would slug a guy over a quarter, you need help   That said, I've seen some guys get seriously pissed off that their session was interrupted, and never quite understood it.  It's supposed to be fun!    

I was thinking back to when I was 13 - can't be held accountable. 

[ChadTower]

Heh.  When I was 13 there was only one local arcade that was a transparent front for money laundering and drug sales.  If you went in there and did anything that might attract Police attention you'd end up full of holes in the canal.

[btp2k2]

Dude....where the hell did you grow up? Holy crap man!

[ChadTower]

That's what a lot of arcades were in a lot of places.  Easiest way for organized crime to do most of its business.  Why do you think there were so many arcades in NJ/NY? 

[Santoro]

Hey yo, what're you sayin bout Joysey?   

*places phone call to Fat Tony.*

[ChadTower]

Do you happen to have the pretzel monies, Homer?

[MaximRecoil]

Dude, if you would slug a guy over a quarter, you need help   That said, I've seen some guys get seriously pissed off that their session was interrupted, and never quite understood it.  It's supposed to be fun!    

I've seen a few real fights break out on Double Dragon when one player "accidentally" elbow smashes the other player one too many times.

[Crowquill]

Dude, if you would slug a guy over a quarter, you need help   That said, I've seen some guys get seriously pissed off that their session was interrupted, and never quite understood it.  It's supposed to be fun!    

I've seen a few real fights break out on Double Dragon when one player "accidentally" elbow smashes the other player one too many times.

I can see that. The only game that turned physical I've played was over Golden Axe for Genesis. We were probably like 15 or so. Basically it was the same thing. I attacked nothing but enemies, he attacked nothing but my character. I started attacking his character back, he punched me really hard on the shoulder, and I yanked his controller out of the system and told him to get out. It's the only incident if you don't count when my wife smacks me when she loses. 

One of our roller-skating rinks got closed down for trafficking. That place had one of the better arcades in town too.

[btp2k2]

I saw a fight break out between brothers over a game of Contra on the NES....seems little brother didn't take too kindly to big brother stealing his player after big brother had died.....