Admin button question for you JAMMA-Mamers

[Ummon]

Particularly for those of you who have Mame'd a candy. How do you coin up without adding another set of buttons? What about 'pause'? (I've seen a couple say they don't really like admin buttons, but I don't see a way of not having them that wouldn't cause interference between those functions and game play.)

[Jack Burton]

Shift functions my friend. 

In mame you can map inputs to be multiple buttons presses.  For example, you can map the player one coin button to activate when you hold down the player 1 start button and press button 1. 

Back when I was using a mortal kombat control panel this is how I had mine mapped.

pause: 1P start + 2P start
1P coin: 1P start + 1P fire 1
2P coin: 2P start + 2P fire1

and I used a usb keyboard for everything else, even though I could have mapped the menu buttons to be shifted keys as well.

Also, the I-Pac and J-pac have default shifted keys that can be programmed to be extra inputs no matter which emulator you are using.  The default key for this is 2P start I believe.

[Ummon]

Right. I know of the 'shift' function with controllers, but I wasn't thinking about button combinations in Mame. Not that way at least. With two people playing, you never had any problems? Like, I know in something like Sidearms Hyperdyne or Double Dragon where either player is dying and then joining back in again, if you both happened to press the start buttons, then it would pause. Not a big deal I guess but sorta momentum-stopping.

[Jack Burton]

Yep, that sort of thing could happen, but it's the sacrifice you make by making do without enough buttons. 

One trick you could probably do is wire the coin return button on your cabinet to be your coin button and just go without a pause button.  I mean, pause buttons are cheating anyway aren't they?

I also think it is convenient to put a usb game controller inside the coin door of the cabinet and use it for navigating menu's etc. It seems a lot easier than dragging out the USB keyboard or reaching over for it all the time, and who really wants to have a big Keyboard sitting beside the cabinet?*  It just screams "THIS IS AN EMULATOR"



*like mine

[Ummon]

I thought most FEs were fine in navigation with a standard CP set-up. On my mame rig, I mainly use P1 for navigation, P1 start for 'enter', P2 start for emu menu call-up, P2 coin-up for game information, and P1 coin-up for cycle game info. Anyways, thanks for the discussion. I've ordered some extra buttons, I just haven't decided whether I want to make holes for them, although pretty much the pause is a given so I'll have to make at least one hole. No, it's a Mame cab. Pause isn't cheating.

[Turnarcades]

There are arguments for both adding and shifting. At Turnarcades we add buttons as our cab design allows for this and the buttons double-up as extra gaming buttons on platforms that demanded it, but not all cab shapes allow for this setup. If you have room, I'd advise adding one or two buttons at least, but don't go overboard.

If you do use shifted buttons, be very careful about what you choose for 'escape' as that could be a big pisser if it's activated by accident and your game resets.

[Ummon]

Yeah, that's the biggest one. For some reason I think of it last. I think because on the panel of my main rig, it's the standard shifted 'pause'.

[u_rebelscum]

If you do use shifted buttons, be very careful about what you choose for 'escape' as that could be a big pisser if it's activated by accident and your game resets.

Amen.  That happening even once in the heat of a game sucks.  Sucks, sucks, SUCKS!!  (Yes, it happened to me.)

[Jack Burton]

I wonder, is there a way to toggle a shifted button on and off?  By that I mean so that when I push a button all my controls switch over to their shifted functions without having to hold down the shift key.

[Ummon]

I wonder, is there a way to toggle a shifted button on and off?  By that I mean so that when I push a button all my controls switch over to their shifted functions without having to hold down the shift key.

Maybe with sticky keys or something, I dunno. Otherwise you'd need a hardware solution. The thing is, every time a special doo-hickey this or that is cued, there has to be a way to exit it, etc. which means another switch or/and process involved.

[Jack Burton]

I think all you would need is a pushbutton that clicks into place when pushed, and unclicks when pushed.  Or you could just wire in a switch. 

What would be cool is if I could find a pushbutton that clicks into place that will fit a standard button hole and switch.

[Ummon]

Yeah, those spring-loaded jobbies that are essentially two-way. Or you could write an app that does that for specified inputs.