Will analog U360s + 8-Way joys work with Blitz?

[DashRendar]

Well, I purchased a Northcoast Customs 4P control panel (very nice, btw) and am getting my plans together for it.

I have already purchased a couple of U360s for P1 and P2.  As I understand it, these function as gamepads (through USB) OR as 8-way sticks (if you use an encoder).  My goal is to keep them working as gamepads, so I can go between 2-way, 4-way, 4-way diagonal, 8-way, and analog games.

Question is, will I need to get U360s for P3 and P4 in order to have 4 player games?  IE, will all sticks need to be running as gamepads in MAME?

I thought I read that people sometimes use regular 8-way sticks for P3 and P4, with U360s for P1 and P2- but I'm not sure how MAME would run that way- unless there's a LOT of customization going on.

Edit: Modified the subject to reflect current question.

[mwong168]

Question is, will I need to get U360s for P3 and P4 in order to have 4 player games?  IE, will all sticks need to be running as gamepads in MAME?

That should work just fine because I use a KeyWiz (keyboard) for P2, P3 and GPWiz (gamepad) for P1, P4 in my 4 player control panel.  They can both map in MAME individually or mixed together, for example I can map player 1's controls to P2 and player 2's controls to P1 for Street Fighter II.

[Hoopz]

I thought I read that people sometimes use regular 8-way sticks for P3 and P4, with U360s for P1 and P2- but I'm not sure how MAME would run that way- unless there's a LOT of customization going on.

I would say you definitely want regular 8-ways for P3/P4 unless money isn't a consideration.  You don't have to customize Mame at all if you mix/match different types of joysticks.

Do you have or are you getting an encoder also?

[DashRendar]

I thought I read that people sometimes use regular 8-way sticks for P3 and P4, with U360s for P1 and P2- but I'm not sure how MAME would run that way- unless there's a LOT of customization going on.

I would say you definitely want regular 8-ways for P3/P4 unless money isn't a consideration.  You don't have to customize Mame at all if you mix/match different types of joysticks.

Do you have or are you getting an encoder also?

I currently own an IPAC-4.  Bought that before I decided to get the U360s, so I guess I could configure this a few different ways.

I'm thinking of using the U360s in gamepad mode, and use a couple of 8-way sticks for P3 and P4 through the IPAC.  I'll also (eventually) be adding buttons for virtual pinball, as well as a few extra admin buttons, so the IPAC should be useful for that.

One of the main considerations for this project is being able to play 4 player Blitz though.  When I have poker nights (or just family over), they all want to play Blitz.  I'm not sure if 8 way sticks can work with that, since Blitz natively uses 49-way analog sticks.

[Hoopz]

I'm not sure about Blitz.  I don't have a fast PC in my cabinet so I can't play it.   

Either start a new thread or update your title to ask the question about Blitz on an 8-way.  That will get more attention to that particular question. 

Having the I-Pac 4 certainly helps though.