Joystick orientation

[gajaman]

I'm upgrading to a four player panel for my cab.

The middle two players will be as they are with one joystick and six buttons. I want the outside players (3 & 4) to have one joystick and three buttons each.

The panel will have the the two outside corners cut at about 30 degrees allowing the third and fourth players to stand at an angle, facing the screen.

                        screen
       --------------------------------------
      |                                                |
      |                                                |
      \                                                /
        \                                            /
         ------------------------------------
  ply3          ply1          ply2              ply4

A bit like this but more of an angle at the sides.

Should I mount the player three and four joystick with a striaght up and down angle like players one and two or should I rotate them in to match the angle of the player standing by the panel?

Will the latter make it difficult, when playing something like Gauntlet, for players three and four to move in the right direction?

Sorry about the high quality illustration

[Frostillicus]

My first panel was a monstrous 4-player, and I angled the 3rd and 4th players' joysticks in.  I think that's the general consensus when you use an angled CP.  The natural 'up' direction is usually directly away from you, so most of us angle the 3rd and 4th joysticks.  I think it would be weird to stand at an angle to the screen and have to push 45deg away from you to go "up".

[skirge66]

i would agree, i am building a 4 player panel that is angle 45 and likewise i angled my plr 3 and 4 sticks at a 45 as well.

[Luxury]

i have a 4 player cp and i would disagree about putting them at an angle.  I originally had 3 and 4 angled thinking it would make sense when playing to have up 'away' from you.  but after playing some games using them, it just felt really awkward to me.  so i rotated them to match the screen.  match the controls to the screen, not the player.
i guess you should just try some tests to see what you like.