Vector Controls

[southpaw13]

If I would make a control panel that played only vector games, what controls would I need on it?

Thanks!!!

[ChadTower]

Just about everything you could think of and a few big money specialty controllers.

[DaveMMR]

Go to http://www.mameworld.net/maws/, click "Deluxe Search" and go to "Display Type" to choose "vector".  There's only 80 results (with many clones, etc.) so you can see what each game used and get an idea of what you need to slap on your panel (besides the Star Wars yoke and spinner for Tempest, of course).

[BrentRadio]

Hey Dave!

Love your avitar!

I have the video if anybody wants to see it.

Click on the Futurerama Lost Arcade link

http://www.brentradio.com/videos.htm

Brent

[DaveMMR]

Ha! That's my favorite Futurama clip.  Embarassingly, I just recently got into that show(odd since I'm a die-hard Simpsons fan).  Thanks for the compliment.

Question for southpaw:  I took the time to reread the post.  Are you making a dedicated vector cabinet (with gen-yoo-ine vector monitor) or just a control panel?  Because there's really nothing unique or outside the ordinary as far as CP requirements for vector games.  Controls pertain more to game play than the way they're displayed.

[southpaw13]

Just in the process of laying out a control panel.  If I go forward with this, I will use a computer monitor as the display.

[ChadTower]

Question for southpaw:  I took the time to reread the post.  Are you making a dedicated vector cabinet (with gen-yoo-ine vector monitor) or just a control panel?  Because there's really nothing unique or outside the ordinary as far as CP requirements for vector games.  Controls pertain more to game play than the way they're displayed.

Actually, there is... to do it with somewhat accurate control types, you'd pretty much have to put every possibility short of rotary sticks... and that's if you disregarded stuff like the Red Baron sticks, the Star Wars yoke, the Major Havoc roller (that could be done with the spinner to cut one out)...

[ArtMAME]

I am planning to build a control panel just like what you describe...

I was not really going to include any specialty controls like a yoke or a Red Baron stick...

Mine is going to be mostly buttons for Space Duel/Gravitar/Asteroids type games...

I may include two joysticks for Black Widow and a spinner for Star Trek.  Not sure about a trackball yet. 

BTW, Major Havoc plays really well with a trackball if you like that one.  Star Wars is also "playable" with a trackball...at least more so than with any other non-yoke controller.  So that may be a consideration for you.

[ChadTower]

Major Havoc does play with a trackball but can get weird if you're not careful about keeping your intended movements on the X axis.  Plays much better with a spinner, which is absolutely required for any vector specific CP anyway.

[DaveMMR]

Question for southpaw:  I took the time to reread the post.  Are you making a dedicated vector cabinet (with gen-yoo-ine vector monitor) or just a control panel?  Because there's really nothing unique or outside the ordinary as far as CP requirements for vector games.  Controls pertain more to game play than the way they're displayed.

Actually, there is... to do it with somewhat accurate control types, you'd pretty much have to put every possibility short of rotary sticks... and that's if you disregarded stuff like the Red Baron sticks, the Star Wars yoke, the Major Havoc roller (that could be done with the spinner to cut one out)...

But that would be true of raster games too, wouldn't it? 

[ChadTower]

There are a LOT more raster games, though, so each control you put on there brings more value.  Vectors are a small set of games by comparison with a much wider variation in percentage terms.

[RayB]

Don't forget the Lunar Lander thrust controller.

[ChadTower]

Erf, that would be a hard one to include, but I bet it could be done with a smaller pot with the same resistance range.

[DaveMMR]

There are a LOT more raster games, though, so each control you put on there brings more value.  Vectors are a small set of games by comparison with a much wider variation in percentage terms.

I think I follow now.  I took his original post as meaning "unique controls" specific to vector games in general, instead of specific games (e.g. Lunar Lander, Star Wars, etc.)

[ChadTower]

Yep... consider Black Widow... two 8 way sticks, not unique at all and very suited for a raster cab, but how many other vectors use 8 way sticks?  Not many.