4Player Ergonomics, Aesthetics, and Functionality

[SparXalt]

So I'm building a 4 player CP and I recently revised it so that players 3 and 4 have six buttons (for Dreamcast.)  This makes the panel a bit more crowded as you might imagine. The question is, in your opinion should players 3 and 4 have their joystick axes perpendicular to the monitor.  Or will they work just fine perpendicular to two respective edges and inline with their buttons. [See attached illustration.]

What’s your opinion?

[ToplessZ]

I think that Player 1 and Player 2 should have straight buttons and three and four could have the curved buttons.   Just my opinion though.

[SparXalt]

Thanks Topless, but I like the curved P1 and P2 buttons cause it works well for both NeoGeo and six button Capcom fighters.  My real issue is whether or not I need to turn the 3P and 4P sticks (and if so how.)  The only option I see would be to abandon the 2x3 setup for a 3x2.  But then again how many 4 Player Dreamcast games even use the triggers?

[SavannahLion]

To answer your question without actually answering the question. It's a matter of preference. I find it depends on the game and how they're configured originally. For example, Gauntlet's gameplay almost requires the sticks to be orientated properly to the screen. So do whatever works for you.

You should make the button curve the same for all four though. CP's that have different button layouts for different players always seem to ensue in arguments with at least one (crappy) player complaining how they would play better if they had that other button arrangement.

[Teknique]

there is a bloody fight on the boards here between having your 3 and 4 player joys diagonal to the screen or not.  The general consenus here is that they were mainly positioned in line with p1 and p2 joys (not diagonal) and thus should be placed in line.  That said,  my sticks are diagonal and I have no problems with them - even when playing things like smash tv.  My 3 and 4 joys are also labeled for orientation to further avoid confusion.

On a side note- be sure to have your esc button shifted since it is so close to pause.  Someone's sloppy fingers will press esc by mistake when going for pause.

Tek 

[SparXalt]

Thanks Teknique, i know this is an issue widely discussed here (seen it before, search yielded little useful though.) I always liked the tilted design (aesthetically) i just wanted to hear from some people who had done it both ways,  learn for experience (functionally).

one (crappy) player complaining how they would play better if they had that other button arrangement.

Honestly this hadn't crossed my mind but i definitely foresee it happening.  Thanks for the heads up though.

On a side note- be sure to have your esc button shifted since it is so close to pause.  Someone's sloppy fingers will press esc by mistake when going for pause.

I wondered if someone would notice that.  Actually i plan to wire BOTH escape buttons on one loop so BOTH buttons have to be pressed to quit.  goes back to that sore player syndrome again. 

The New question at hand arises from the 7 vs 6 button layout.  Currently the buttons will be labeled...

  XYZ
ABCD

with ABCD serving the role of main buttons and BCD-XYZ being used in 6 button fighters.  I figure this is intuitive.  But player 3 and 4 buttons are labeled...

CDL
ABR

after the dreamcast 6 button fighter layout. (someone correct me if i have the L + R in the wrong place, I sold my dreamcast last summer and can't test for game compatibility.)  Any suggestions on how to better label; or can Mala + NullDC (or an Ipac) load custom button configs for different DC games.

Thanks for all you help and opinions I really appreciate them.

[SparXalt]

My bad, this

CDL
ABR

Should read

XYL
ABR

There is no C + D on a dreamcast controller, but I'm just a doofus.  So for clarification Player 1 + 2 would use BCD as their ABR and XYZ as their XYL.  the more i think about this the dumber my labels get.

[BASS!]

My bad, this

CDL
ABR

Should read

XYL
ABR

There is no C + D on a dreamcast controller, but I'm just a doofus.  So for clarification Player 1 + 2 would use BCD as their ABR and XYZ as their XYL.  the more i think about this the dumber my labels get.

Hello there. This is something as they are saying is one of preference. Just remember these

*There are no real games for mame that use over 4 buttons for players 3 and 4. Dreamcast does use more though.
*You want that spinner to be in a place where you can rest your wrist ( No carpel tunnel)
*You are going to click mouse buttons all the time if they are under your trackball. If you want em, put em maybe in the corner.


As far as diagonal controls go I have mine like yours and they work just fine, the human brain can cope very easily with that. Just put arrows around the joystick and all will be well.

[BASS!]

If I were you I would take your design to a print shop (kinkos in the us) and have them print it so that you can visualize your design. Thats what I did

[CheffoJeffo]

there is a bloody fight on the boards here between having your 3 and 4 player joys diagonal to the screen or not.  The general consenus here is that they were mainly positioned in line with p1 and p2 joys (not diagonal) and thus should be placed in line. 

The argument that is mostly made is that sticks, even when they were not in line mainly used "towards the screen on a perpendicular" to position "up" (so the sticks were mounted square to the monitor). This was an old Paige-ism and always made sense to me. I don't have any 4-Player cabinets currently, but those that I have had followed Paige's spec.

But, as tek points out, people mount them at angles without noticing any issues, so YMMV.