My first arcade project

[ARTIFACT]

Whats a franken panel?

I've never heard that term.

a CP with

. 6 trackballs
. 6 spinners
. 6 joysticks (rotated, of course, 60 degrees)
. buttons on left of sticks for right side players (to confuse them)
. 2 feet of spacing between players
. 12 buttons per player (of course) so each has pause, letter "O", letter "K" (LOL) , exit, enter, coin,  left and right mouse buttons, plus game buttons. all crammed together so players hit exit by mistake every single time!
. CP dimensions: 8 feet wide, 4 feet deep

Don't forget 2 guns, 3 steering wheels, 6 pedals, and 3 gear shifts.

yes! what was I thinking!?

[DaOld Man]

Did anyone mention the monitor needs to be at least 15" but no bigger than 17"?

[gurnie]

If i may throw in my $0.02

My boyfriend and I had one of his friends over last night, and the friend, naturally hovered over to the arcade.

He commented that he had a friend that also built a MAME cabinet but he disliked it b/c the way to exit and then enter a game, was a total pain in the butt.

He played my arcade (which is in its beta stages) and found it incredibly easy to use b/c i went for a simple format.

I have a P1  and p2 button at the top.  the 1st player is a 4 to 8 way switch from the top arcade stick with 7 buttons.  2nd player has the same set-up except the joystick is a 8way, there's no switching to 4 way.

coin inserts are done via coin door, meaning 2 less buttons junking up the CP.  Not to mention it gives an arcade-y feel.

exiting is a sinch, push player 1 and 2 at the same time and it exits.  Pushing P1 and other buttons do other tasks, but i haven't really needed to do such a thing.  I use i-pac as an encoder and I highly recommend andy and his products.  he's a really nice guy.

I do plan on putting a trackball in when I get it in the mail.

the panel itself is a hotrod that has been sliced to fit to the cut of the cabinet (solar fox).  I'm working on getting rid of that horrid purple

It plays 95% of the games I want it to play (i run mame .61).

Sometimes its fun to be able to play every single game the human mind has conceived.  I think it's pointless.  Do you really need to be able to play over 3,000 games and make a special button for the wacked-out games that decided to be different?  No, it's silly, and it looks like junk, and confuses the crap out of people.

I love that I can have my parents or my boyfriends parents over, and they can insert a quarter and play pacman with ease, and not have to ask me how the darn thing runs.  they just play it, and that's exactly how it should be.  You should be able to go up to an arcade, stick a quarter in and play it.  Anything that prevents you from that goal is a waste.

So instead of filling a CP full of "skittles" (codeword for a conglomerate of  colored useless buttons) think of ways to spread out your buttons.  If you're into fighters and older games, you don't need to have a 6 button setup with an 8 way, a 4-way with 3 buttons, and then another 8way with 6 buttons.  Take out the joy with the 4-way, get a stick that can switch and then ditch the 3 extra buttons.  Don't put coin buttons on your CP, instead hook-up a coindoor.

These are the ways of the gurnster.

[genesim]

Well, it is pointless to nail it in to someone's head yet I do keep hearing the same things over and over.

Sometimes its fun to be able to play every single game the human mind has conceived.  I think it's pointless.  Do you really need to be able to play over 3,000 games and make a special button for the wacked-out games that decided to be different?  No, it's silly, and it looks like junk, and confuses the crap out of people.

I love that I can have my parents or my boyfriends parents over, and they can insert a quarter and play pacman with ease, and not have to ask me how the darn thing runs.  they just play it, and that's exactly how it should be.  You should be able to go up to an arcade, stick a quarter in and play it.  Anything that prevents you from that goal is a waste.

When we are talking about playing games, I consider the classics.   So it isn't necessary to play "EVERY GAME", but at the same time when classic gaming, you cannot leave out essentials.

Playing Centipede without a trackball is mindless.    Playing Tempest without a spinner is impossible.    Pacman or especially Donkey Kong without a 4 way RESTRICTED is obscene.

The goal is to maximize the amount of fun....yet it also should be technically the most pleasing.

The problem is that we have the mentality(not separating gender here), of having the "easy" remote.    Yet alot of us have to sacrifice because for the numbskulls that don't want to learn.

Thankfully I don't have that in my family.    A few short lessons, and I don't have to give them a pretty remote that has pictures to tell the infants what to do i.e. with flashcards.  This button does this, this button does that...got it...well lets do it again, till you got it memorized.     (If I get one remote, a thousand remotes, I will pretty much program them the same.    Audio TV, Video TV.    One button is nice, but hardly ever the same when you got two separate components using two separate signals...and yes macros suck.   ) 

The arcade experience is being ruined by not having at least these essentials.    A few things like pinball buttons and a qbert stick etc is really not that big of a deal.

If it is really that difficult...which again for the people I am around it takes like 2 seconds...then make up pretty instructions.

Donkey Kong gets this joystick....tempest gets this spinner...etc.     Not that difficult.     True it takes some skill to learn things...like Photshop or Excel, but when one takes the time the end result is quite rewarding.

I am not talking about a few extra buttons, but to skimp on what I have mentioned above is just plain lazy.    That and like a few others have mentioned.     We don't have the room or desire to have multiple arcade machines.    Getting the first one installed was enough trouble!

A great do it all machine can be just as rewarding, and to me, I find it outright comical how many on here will have MAME on their machine, yet criticize people for wanting the multiple control panel to go with it???

Having a do it all(or at least alot), makes things very fun when done correctly.    The guys at Slikstik made a wonderful panel and gives the customers lots of choices.     If you can't figure out how to work those "oh so complicated" controls then you shouldn't be playing arcade games to begin with.   

For my experience Arcade games aren't for my parents or my significant others anyway.     They play for mild amusement, but for the most part arcade games are for the people that grew up during that time.

Besides, there are some of us who are actually amused and enjoy the arcade "frankenpanel" and actually think that those people are just jealous.    With a small explanation, one can see the benefit of having it all on one panel.     I will argue Slikstik/my modification down to the end of time.     I have made no mistakes on my panel and it is simply easy to play.    I will say it again....EASY!     

Most that would compare to mine, or others like mine will be left in the dust when it comes to being adapted to the most games, while maintaining functionality as well as adapting to new games.

But I can also understand the people that want to keep it simple and don't want it too "complicated".   There are plenty of those out there. 

   To me, what you will get for anyone that knows the arcade machines.....but what about Qbert, Tempist...etc.    Geez that sure plays like CRAP on your "non complicate" panel!   How is that a trip down memory lane when you can't even play it correctly??

What is frustrating is not having the 8 way that plays everything bad...but getting stuck on the *&^%^&* ladder in Donkey Kong on a higher level because you skimped on having the proper control!!

[gurnie]

I think alot of people here can agree that it's a matter of taste, but too many buttons just look like junk.  Now how many is too many is going to be the question each person has to ask themselves. 

I just find what people end up doing is not smartly organizing and buying parts for the cabinet.  I have no problems playing any classic game with my slick stick ( i think that's the name of the 4 to 8 way switching stick made by andy).  This is an example of what i think is being smart with your panel.  I want to play both classics and fighters with two people so instead of having 3 controls or 1 8way, 1 4way, just use something that switches.  It saves space and looks good.

I think one thing a lot of people have to decide is wither their CP is going to fit on the open control panel spot on their cabinet, or if it's going to hang off.  There's a lot of ways of going around it.

I live in a condo, there's no way I have room for a 2nd cabinet (infact this cabinet is also my TV for when I cook meals, get up in the morning).

And some of us just don't like spinner games.  But i like marble madness and I want a better mouse vs. using the touch pad I have attached, so I'm adding a trackball.

And i have no doubt people here all build their cabinets for them (I got a lot of crap for years b/c the cabinet took up a good chunk of space at our old place but i refused to give it up).  But i think alot of us entertain (or have children, or in my case parents that live too close... well sometimes it feels like that )and like to have something simple for them to play and understand.

To each their own, but i think there are people in this forum really willing to help give atheistic advice if you need help.

[genesim]

I want to play both classics and fighters with two people so instead of having 3 controls or 1 8way, 1 4way, just use something that switches.  It saves space and looks good.

Ooooh.. 3 joysticks...too much.   

See the problem here is the assumption that the panel was not thought out.

There were very primitive top switchable arcade sticks, but at the same time, I also bare in mind that when you are dealing with mechanics, repeated switching can cause issues.    Who knows, maybe not, but I can live with having the 4-way and 8-way separate.    Matter of fact, I prefer it, because a 4-way should be played with a ball top and a 8 way should have a bat top.    Or do you switch those too?   Also it is the nature of the J-stick vs a competion/super/rotary type feel.   I can't imagine playing both the exact same way just to make things "pretty".   I personally think it is a pain not knowing what mode your arcade stick is in.   What a frickin bother!    Why not just step to the middle...which again is more natural, for the 4 way games that were originally played that way??   

Don't like spinner games.   Your loss.    Spinner games are a must for me.

Your right though, different strokes.    Too many buttons seem cluttered to you.    Well thank god for freedoms.   The extra buttons are not only essential for my games which I took alot of time thinking out, but also have been a added benefit for computer games.

A trackball with a topfire is a must.   The whole thing has worked out so nicely and has given my panel a whole new demention.   Playing Call Of Duty/Doom 3/F.E.A.R. would not be possible on a smaller setup.

Being full grown, the extra room, and extra benefits like having dual Joysticks for stuff like Smash TV is the BOMB to play with friends.    Something entirely missed on the "pretty" crowd.   

My panel does it all...many others fall short...way short.    But again, thank god for freedom...even if it is freedom to be mediocre.