The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: erictrumpet on November 28, 2005, 03:57:38 pm
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Hi all,
I am wondering if anyone has ever mounted their trackball off-center. I am thinking I might do this and I can't think of any reason not to! But, I have literally NEVER seen a single MAME cab CP without the trackball right in the middle. Am I missing some crucial reason it must be in the middle?
An off-center tb would be a more authentic recreation of original Centipede/Millipede, Missle Command, etc. panels, and it would allow me more central placement of other controls that I think are more important to have centered (flight stick, or 4-way).
The only negative I could possibly think of is that it would be a little wierd to play a golf or bowling game with the tb not in the middle -- but no more weird than playing Pac-Man with an off-center joystick, right?
Thanks for any thoughts on this...
Eric.
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Clarification -- I am only talking about mounting the tb a little off-center, not way over to one side.
Eric.
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I suspect trackball placement in the center has more to do with visual balance and keeping P1 and P2 some distance apart. In addition, a lot of panels are tapered at the edges and bulge in the center, making the center the choice for placement because there is a little more room toward to really give the thing a hard roll (for golf games and marble madness for example). If you are building a 1 player CP then you won't have the issue of keeping players 1 & 2 separated which gives you more leeway.
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The primary reason is that some games require it. It's much easier to get accurate direction in bowling games for example if your ball is in line with the graphic of the alley.
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SlikStik's trackballs aren't right in the middle
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Mine's about 6 inches to the left.
(2 regular joys, 1 on each end, a trackball and a dedicated 4 way)
I'm used to the trackball being off center, but most visitors have a very hard time bowling or playing golf.
Later,
dabone
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My favorite bowling game is World Class Bowling, but I also play Capcom Bowling (and ones like it), which use vertical orientation and have the "alley" on the right side of the screen -- not centered. So I guess it depends on the game. But for me, central placement of other controls is more important than perfect bowling gameplay. I mean, if I really want to bowl, I can go to a real bowling alley. But if I really want to repel the Gorfian army, I need my flight stick in the middle! :)
Eric.
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My trackball is offset to the right (although the control panel isn't finished yet). I did this as I have a 49-way and a few buttons to the left, then trackball, then spinner (from left to right). Makes sense for a right-handed player (me) to have the trackball & spinner to the right.
Seems to work great in the small amount of use the panel has had.