Suggestions on how to implement an innovative control setup

[Doom bucket]

It feels kind of funny posting this picture, since it's actually just a photoshop of my arcade cabinet, but I don't have a camera to show off what it looks like now.  Still, it's pretty close to the real thing so it'll have to do. I'm pretty proud of it.



However, I want to do something a little bit different. This is the steel battalion controller. It was a unique controller, designed for the Xbox, that could only be used with the game it came with(and an expansion pack). However, there are drivers available that allow it to be used on the PC, and with other games, such as mechwarrior, and flight games. I have used it with my gaming PC with great success.



Now, I have the idea... to attach it to my arcade cabinet. Like so.



In this position(and I have tested out how it would feel with duct tape) the two sides are too far apart to be comfortable. Even though the two flight sticks could be used seperatly by two players, I am trying to think of a way to bring them both together for one player play. Any ideas? I'm thinking that, they could be attached to rails, and would come forward up to the front, then slide together somehow... no real ideas on how exactly I'll be able to do this...

(the photoshopped picture is a little misleading by the way, the two panels are not angled, it was just a mistake of mine to make them appear to be in the photoshop, and I'm unsure of what to do with the control box thing right now)

[severdhed]

interesting idea.  i have one of those lying around also.  i downloaded the drivers for it a long time ago, but never bothered hooking it up to the PC since i really had no games i would want to play with it.  i dont know how you would use it for 2 separate players since the one stick only moves left or right.

if you have any success with this though, please keep us updated...perhaps mine could get some use instead of collecting dust.

[NickG]

<jealous (wants all the controls types)>
Looks like you'd be better off (more comfortable) going swap-able or building a second cabinet, but how does it feel stacked on top and a little further back from the screen? 

[Doom bucket]

<i>i dont know how you would use it for 2 separate players since the one stick only moves left or right.</i>

this whole thing hinges on this detail, but I have seen pics of the internals, and note that what keeps it from moving in other directions is this...



I am not exactly sure  if it would be able to move in other directions and register if that was altered, I'm awaiting a response from a couple different people who have hacked the controller before.

[severdhed]

i doubt that even removing the restrictor would help.  that thing already has like 42 buttons, i cant imagine they left extra, unused inputs in there for that stick.

[Kremmit]

I only see one potentiometer on that stick.  What that means is:  Even if you remove the restrictor, there's still no electronics for up/down movement.  No dice.

[Doom bucket]

Damn! Well, I'm sure there would be ways around it, but this project is now too complicated for me, so oh well...

[TOK]

I think that control setup screams for a cockpit cab, not a standup. Be cool to have it setup to play Steel Battalion as well as have the PC setup for Mechwarrior with it.