Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: Nidhoggr on June 22, 2012, 11:29:44 pm

Title: Going to be building my first MAME Cabinet soon and had a few questions
Post by: Nidhoggr on June 22, 2012, 11:29:44 pm

I am going to be building a 4-player MAME cabinet for my wife and I here shortly.  It will feature 4 (8 way) joysticks, 6 buttons for each player (so fighters work properly), a shift button, an escape button, 4 start buttons, a coin button, a trackball, and an anaolg wheel.  The question I have is: The requirements here exceed the amount of available slots on the Ipac4. Would I be able to use 2 Ipac4's or would they interfere with each other? What would be the best way to handle this? Money isn't a HUGE deal as it will be a project over time.  The goal is to have it finished by Christmas as a Christmas gift for my wife.  Before you ask: Yes she knows and yes she is excited.  I landed a good one.

Title: Re: Going to be building my first MAME Cabinet soon and had a few questions
Post by: smalltownguy on June 22, 2012, 11:37:05 pm

You don't need any more than 4 buttons for players 3 and 4. I can't think of any games that use P3 and P4 with more than 4 buttons.

Title: Re: Going to be building my first MAME Cabinet soon and had a few questions
Post by: tony.silveira on June 22, 2012, 11:38:02 pm

i would use a mini-pac to drive the trackball, wheel, p1/p2 joysticks and buttons.  then use whatever else pac to drive p3/4.  they won't interfere with eachother.  just one caveat, when you program one, make sure the other is unplugged.  then do the same the other way, program the second with the first unplugged

Title: Re: Going to be building my first MAME Cabinet soon and had a few questions
Post by: Nidhoggr on June 22, 2012, 11:40:07 pm

Ah. True smalltown. True.  So I may very well be able to get away with a single Ipac4 to do all the controls and buttons and use a mini pac for anything else. Thank you.

Title: Re: Going to be building my first MAME Cabinet soon and had a few questions
Post by: yotsuya on June 23, 2012, 12:17:30 am

One thing to consider- does it 'have' to be a 4 player cab?

Title: Re: Going to be building my first MAME Cabinet soon and had a few questions
Post by: Nidhoggr on June 23, 2012, 01:10:10 am

Does not HAVE to be. I suppose I could hook up a USB-Controller such as an XBOX360 for those cases it's just... meh. Don't really wanna ruin the arcade "feel" for it. Plus for games like The Simpsons, I wanna be able to pick WHO i play as.

Title: Re: Going to be building my first MAME Cabinet soon and had a few questions
Post by: yotsuya on June 23, 2012, 02:04:39 am

I have a two player dab, and I just run the 2p versions of games like The Simpsons, TMNT, and Gauntlet so I can pick my own characters. Works fine.

Title: Re: Going to be building my first MAME Cabinet soon and had a few questions
Post by: Dawgz Rule on June 23, 2012, 05:51:43 am

Quote

I have a two player dab, and I just run the 2p versions of games like The Simpsons, TMNT, and Gauntlet so I can pick my own characters. Works fine.

+1.  I was all about building a four player but after some research I went this very same route.