Button layout Straight VS. Curved for games with unique button requirements

[cmoses]

In getting ready to design my control panel and I have been looking at a lot of examples in the CP sticky as well as a lot of button layouts.  I have printed some out and really like the curved more ergonomical designs.  They seem to be more comfortable and would allow longer game play.  After printing some out I was confused as to why there are not more curved designs as they seem more comfortable.

I figured initially it might be that there are a lot of people that enjoy the fighter games (Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, etc.) and this is their standard layout.  Not being a big fighter fan I wasn't initially concerned over this.  I then began to think about the games I would be playing, mostly classics, which used 0 - 3 buttons.  These would be easy to play on a control panel with curved buttons.  Then I started to think about the games that my control panel wouldn't be really made for, but could accommodate and that I would want it be able to play.  Below are some examples:

Track and Field - 3 button game, unique wide spaced layout
Asteroids - 5 button game unique layout
Defender - 5 button game, unique layout
Stargate - 6 button game, unique layout
Toobin - 5 button game, unique layout

I thinking about these games and playing them I think that they would be easier to learn to play on a straight layout as opposed to a curved one.  Maybe this is why I see more straight designs over curved.  Any thoughts and opinions would be appreciated.

Also anyone wanting to share how they play these or any other games with unique button layouts would be appreciated.

[Sardu]

I made mine curved.  This was based on an old Sega arcade stick. I also rotated it about 5 degrees.

My fingers fit perfect. 

[severdhed]

i made mine straight on all of my panels so far...mainly because it is easy to measure and lay things out in straight rows and columns..however i have new parts coming this week and am building a new panel, and i am strongly considering curved rows instead.

[ivwshane]

I used curved on mine for ergonomic reasons as well.

[cmoses]

I used curved on mine for ergonomic reasons as well.

Do you have a button layout that can be printed?  I like the look of yours.

[ivwshane]

I used curved on mine for ergonomic reasons as well.

Do you have a button layout that can be printed?  I like the look of yours.

I got my layout from this site (I just tweaked it a little):
http://www.kowal.itcom.pl/ArcadeParts_pliki/asCP.htm

[Jack Burton]

Fighting gamers almost exclusively use curved these days when building their own sticks and cabs. 

Straight is only used to be more authentic to what used to be in arcades.

Once you play on a curved layout for a few minutes it becomes natural, and I don't think you would have any problems playing the games you mentioned.

[Games001]

I usually bring the center of the 6 buttons (3/5) up about 1/2 from the first buttons (1/4) and the third buttons (3/6) up 1/4", just feels more natural.. otherwise they stay on the same line from the sticks.

[cyapps]

I am going with the 7 button curved layout because it feels more comfortable to me than straight. I first made a model of my cabinet and cp in sketchup and that seemed to look right, but to be sure I cut holes in a mailing box and placed my buttons and joystick in it and it felt right to me. I was wondering as you are about the unique layouts for all the games but I figured for the most "compatibility" and comfort this layout would do for me. I am also using leds to light only the buttons that are used in each game to help other people catch on quicker but I will see how that goes.

[thatitalian]

I made mine curved.  This was based on an old Sega arcade stick. I also rotated it about 5 degrees.

My fingers fit perfect. 

That is nice artwork!!! Ever considered posting it here?:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=83312.0

[isucamper]

Before making my cp, I mounted everything in cardboard and I had player 1 with straight buttons and player 2 with curved buttons in the style of the layout above.  I liked the straight buttons much better.  I found myself getting lost on the curved buttons and having to look down and see where I was at.  This especially happened in fighting games.

[Xiaou2]

 I had the same problem.

 A paper mockup seemed comfortable... however, after it was built curved... my fingers
ended up hitting the sides of the buttons instead of the middle... or hitting the button
bezel edge.

 You really have to play test the stuff in heavy action.

 The reality is that your keyboard isnt rounded.  IE"  ASDF ,  JKL; "  Your fingers bend in
able to accommodate.... which is good, because if your fingers are too far extended... they
wont have any spring left to push a button down.

 The biggest problem with straight layouts is when a person spaces the buttons too far
apart.  That will definitely cause too much discomfort.   The button bezel edges should just about
be touching.  On the underside.. you want just enough space to be able to screw on the button
nuts in place without getting stick on the other nearby button nuts.

[u_rebelscum]

Your fingers bend in able to accommodate....

Agree.  Also bending the fingers naturally reduces the differences in lengths.  I prefer straight for retro reasons mostly, but... If I compare my bent finger curve, it's much less than the curved layouts I've seen here.  If I ever do a curved layout for ergonomic reasons, the middle buttons will be ~2-3 mm higher than the sides to fit my bent fingers, not the 10-15 mm I usually see.  3 mm probably will probably only look like poor drilling, though.

The biggest problem with straight layouts is when a person spaces the buttons too far
apart....

Totally agree.


Back to original post, Asteroids does okay with 6 straight (using both players).  Asteroids, Defender & Stargate do okay with 7 button straight (again using both players).  Toobin does very well with 6 button straight.  Of the four, I play toobin the most, and think it would be pretty bad with a curved layout, and totally suck with an asymmetrical cuvered layout.  I don't have curved, but but the other three might do okay with curved . 

But even as good as the 6 buton straight works with toobin, I still wish the throw button was a little lower; the original layout was just about perfect for that game.

[cmoses]

Back to original post, Asteroids does okay with 6 straight (using both players).  Asteroids, Defender & Stargate do okay with 7 button straight (again using both players).  Toobin does very well with 6 button straight.  Of the four, I play toobin the most, and think it would be pretty bad with a curved layout, and totally suck with an asymmetrical cuvered layout.  I don't have curved, but but the other three might do okay with curved . 

But even as good as the 6 buton straight works with toobin, I still wish the throw button was a little lower; the original layout was just about perfect for that game.

In a straight 6 button configuration like this
1 2 3
4 5 6

When you play Toobin' do you use the following buttons or some other arrangement?

1 - back paddle left
3 - back paddle right
4 - forward paddle left
5 - throw cans
6 - forward paddle right

Can you explain what buttons you are using to play defender/stargate (using both players buttons)?  I assume the Player 1 joystick for up and down, but not sure of the rest.

[u_rebelscum]

When you play Toobin' do you use the following buttons or some other arrangement?

1 - back paddle left
3 - back paddle right
4 - forward paddle left
5 - throw cans
6 - forward paddle right

Yup.  Button 2 can be throw also, as in "throw = button 5 OR button 2", but that #2 button is hard to hit while playing.  And throw isn't quite as easy as the original layout, but pretty close.

Can you explain what buttons you are using to play defender/stargate (using both players buttons)?  I assume the Player 1 joystick for up and down, but not sure of the rest.

If button 7 is that neo geo button and 1-6 as you show, and I wanted as close to defender & stargate's layout as possible, I'd do:

p1b7 reverse
p1b6 hyperspace (optional also p1b1-5, and/or all direction of p2 joystick)
p2b7 inviso  (stargate only)
p2b4 smartbomb (optional also p2b1)
p2b2 thrust (optional also p2b5)
p2b3 fire (optional also p2b6)

This is actually hard to use unless LED light up the used buttons or the optionals are also used.  Also, defender can be moved diagonally down so SB, T, & F are b7, --BINGO! Either that, or I was attempting to say "before" but it was too many letters to type--, & b5 (player2), respectively.  (Prior thread I think I got the idea from, without the 7th button)