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4pl control panel revision, please critique the ergonomics now!

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subzero23:
I apologize if you harbor illwill towards me but please be objective since this could help others in my position.

Here is my original design for the 4 player control panel, players 1 and 4 are at a 90' angle from the screen as are their joysticks.



new one


Now player 1 and 4 aren't more than at a 15' angle or any other angle they want

Now everyone was saying on 4pl CP threads the joysticks should be pointed towards the screen (so all 4 are parralel) which I thought was retarded if your CP has a large angle for players 1 and 4... but i was looking over arcade 4pl cp's and found out why they were like that.. it makes sense when it's like this, where pl 1 and 4 have one hand basically over another not side by side like pl 2 and 3 which is ok.

So opinions?

eyal8r:
go with design #1- everyone else does this for a reason.  For example- one problem with #2 is- look at pl4- the corner of the CP is dug right into their chest/stomach- not a comfortable position to be in during a game!  Not to even mention having your hands all jacked in different/weird positions trying to SQUEEZE it all in.

Think about Simpsons. Think about Gauntlet. Think about any 4 player game- they're all angled on the sides, and, are VERY LARGE cp for that matter. There's no way 4 adults can play at the same time COMFORTABLY on any 4 player, unless the CP is twice the size of the normal.

Like I said in my other thread- I have a 4pl CP that I changed my mind and made it into a 2pl instead. So now, it's the same SIZE as a 4pl, but is only 2pl. 2 of us can fit comfortably shoulder to shoulder- and that's just 2 of us. In fact, when I built this CP, I actually INCREASED the size of the thing above the standard size- so I can't imagine squeezing 4 players in at the same time on a SMALLER CP.  Take my advice from someone who's just finished building one- either keep it 2 player, or, you DEFINITELY want to angle the sides if you insist on going with 4player, and angle the controls to see the screen.
D

versapak:
Actually...


The Simpsons, and most other 4 player cabs were not angled.


Still...

I find that they should have been, because it is clearly the better design choice. :)





My cab is 4 player, and players 3 & 4 are angled at 45

jck_strw:
versapak

Your CP looks really good.  What are the dimensions on this? 

FractalWalk:
Design #1 looks good, but I still think that the joysticks "up" position should point toward the screen.  Perhaps it is a personal preference thing, but when my eye follows something on the screen and I want to go a particular direction, my hand wants to move in that same direction.

So if I am the far left player and at a 90 degree angle to the front of the CP, then pushing the joy forward, directionally, would be towards the right side of the screen. But if I understand you correctly, you want that to be "up".  I would have to do a 90 degree conversion in my head to get the directions right. I think that would be awkward. I'm sure I would get used to it, but it would be strange.

Think of it this way, if you leaned the screen back little by little until eventually it were completely horizontal, how would you place the joys?

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