Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: JayTea on August 16, 2003, 02:37:31 am
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I've been doodling and thinking about a driving MAME lately, and I've also been wanting to get a T2 gun, Tron setup, and 360 degree wheels for Off road and other 360 games. I also wanted to be able to play Star Wars in the cockpit... I will begin this project when my football season is over, and i save up enough money for a nice big Screen TV.
Let me know your thoughts / suggestions...
see my prototype doodle...
http://www.licoricepizza.com/mydreamgame.jpg
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that could be pretty kick ass. and cool with those pedal shooters.
really should spend a lot of time on something like that though. find ways to store stuff for a cleaner look.
i got some good ideas just looking at that i could toss your way. but i always make stuff rather complex and you probly dont want anymore that that aready is ;D
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Complex is good, bigger is better...i want this to be the f'n GrandDaddy of all Mame machines, suitable only for the garage! :)
Gimme the ideas!
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You want the real granddaddy of all Mame cabinets?
Get a pair of these. Link them up and clone the display so player one is in one cabinet, and player 2 is in the other.
In these cabinets the sticks not only control the game, they also move the cockpit. They can rotate 360 degrees in any direction.
Imagine how crazy it would be playing Pac-Man, and spinning around as you move Pac through the mazes. Or playing a fighting game and being tossed around as you do the special moves.
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Heh... a while back I saw a guy online that was selling those refurbished for like $15,000. I think they can only run a modified version of After Burner and one other game I can't recall the name of right now...
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How big of a tv/monitor do you plan? I read some descriptions of there console(not mame) driving cabs. I haven't seen one with a bigger screen than 27 inches. I play Gran Turismo 3 at a friends house who has a Sharp 36" Tv and I am not impressed. My tv is smaller and CHEAP though. My point is don't go too big and too cheap at the same time. ;)
Still on the tv/monitor bit....
The seat looks too low. My suggestion is raise the platform a bit so you aren't so low. Secondly, it looks like you are going to use a real car seat. If/when you raise the platform, don't raise it so high that the car seat obstructs your view. My suggestion here is to make sure you can push the seat forward when not in use.
Where are your pedals for the driving setup. Gotsta have pedals.
Is this for mame only? Or will you be using consoles?
I have more ideas, but only if you are considering using consoles for driving games.
Now, on to your podium. For best performance, I think you will want to incorporate two stratigies.
First is the rotating control panel for multiple control panels.
Secondly, a swappable control panel that sits on top of your rotating cp podium. On this, you can have your 360 wheels. as pictured. Also you can have another for your star wars yoke.
Thirdly, where are you going with the guns? I have a pair of those T2 guns, and the are heavy mother suckers! Even after you remove that base on the bottom of the guns, I imagine they'll be to heave to play a "lightgun" game.
Just thought of this. Someone here told me that the average distance between the podium and display was less than 2'. Having said that, your podium might be too far from the display.
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Heh... a while back I saw a guy online that was selling those refurbished for like $15,000. I think they can only run a modified version of After Burner and one other game I can't recall the name of right now...
Yes, from the factory they only work with two games (Afterburner 2 and Lock On I believe).
BUT!
It shouldn't be too difficult to bypass the software and make the joystick control the movement directly. They cost too much money to even think about messing with them, but it could certainly be done.
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thanks for the comments all
First, the sketch is not to scale. The pedals are on the other side of the cab, and I love all of your ideas!
JT
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i couldn't tell where the star wars yoke was....
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I dreamed up a design similar to this a while back, but I have no intention of making it for years to come (it would never fit in my current or any near future living spaces). I really don't think that the seat height will be an issue. I remember someone bringing it up before when I posted my idea for this type of cab. But the back of the seat can go up in front of the other controls, as long as it's not two or three feet higher than the controls blocking the players view of the screen. It's not as though the controls and the players eyes are at the same height :P
Anyway, I'll try to track down that thread as there was a bit of discussion about it and there may be some ideas in there that will help you.
edit: Here's the thread
http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=10;action=display;threadid=7387;start=msg53691#msg53691
I don't chime in with my idea until about 3/4 the way down. There was less discussion on it than I thought, but still worth checking out if your planning to do something like this. One of the ideas that I had that you may not have considered is in addition to the sit down driving controls throw in a force feedback analog flight stick between your legs. It shouldn't get in the way while you're driving, but would be fantastic for flight games. Now to think of how to switch between driving and rudder pedals.
For the record I think it would be the best damn mame cab on the planet if done well.
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Is this for mame only? Or will you be using consoles?
I have more ideas, but only if you are considering using consoles for driving games.
The following thread describes what I was refering to in the above qoute
http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=10793
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I didn't put all of the controls on the sketch, because it was late and I wanted to go to bed. The pic was to more or less get a rough draft idea of the cab itself. keep the ideas coming, because I'm determined to spend the jack and the time to make this thing, but not for at least 6 months...
As for consoles, this will probably only be a MAme / Daphne cab, maybe final burn with FF steering / flight.
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I would simplify it a tad...
Hot swappable control panels... on BOTH the seat and the behind!
So in the driving seat... you can a starwars yoke or a steering wheel (360 and 270) and anything else you think would go good there (paperboy??)
And at your head behind the seat... you would have enought room for 2 controllers at a time (unless your going for 4) but hotswappable so you can have all you want).
Main reason I'm mentioning it is you forgot your 720 controller! no classic setup? No tron setup??