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How many buttons?

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NoOne=NBA=:

--- Quote from: TurboC-- on August 06, 2005, 07:03:01 pm ---But don't some games need 2 sticks?  Robotron?
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Robotron is going to be tiny on that monitor.
It was a horizontal game, so will have big black patches at the top and bottom of the screen on a vertical monitor.
The only classic vertical game that uses two joysticks, at least that I can think of at the moment, is Space Dungeon.



--- Quote ---Well.  Looking at it from the opposite angle... I haven't had any good ideas for control panel artwork yet.  Looking at the original Pac-Man control panel online, I can see that I could easily disguise 2 black buttons to the right of the stick.  I could even wire the 1 & 2 player start buttons as regular buttons, and put 1 & 2 player start on the bottom front plate.  Or even use them as both?
--- End quote ---

That was my suggestion when I thought you had an original Pac-cab.
There was someone on the boards here that did a Tempest conversion awhile back, and set it up for only games that would fit the spinner/2-button format.
You could probably sneak a black trackball into the other black area, but right-handed people would hate you.
Most right-handed people seem to need the stick in their right hand for stick-only games, the stick in their left hand for stick/button games, and the trackball in their right hand for trackball/button games.



--- Quote ---I'd hate not to run a trackball though.  That would mean no centipede, tempest (I imagine a trackball can simulate a spinner), arkanoid (if I can run that), and a lot of others I love.
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There aren't that many vertical trackball games either.
One you definitely don't want to miss is Quantum.
It was an Atari game, similar to Tempest, but you used a trackball to circle around stuff to capture it.

Tempest is a little tough with a trackball, but is playable.
Just don't expect really high scores.



--- Quote --- How often will a trackball move and screw up your control?  I'd hate to have that happen in the middle of a game of Pac.  Hmm... (boggle)
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Not a problem.
The joystick games use joysticks, the trackball games use trackballs.
One, or the other, is basically non-functional, depending on the game.



--- Quote ---Have you used the Ultimarc T-Stik Plus Ball-Top?  Since it switches the 4/8 restrictor plate from the top of the panel, that was my idealized joystick.  Unless it doesn't feel anything like a Pac stick?  Argh, too many options...

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Yes, I've got two T-stiks, as well as a boxload (literally) of other sticks.

I most recently had the T-stiks on my Crazy Climber cabinet temporarily, while I was designing a new CP for it.
The original joysticks were not working well when I got it, and I didn't want to massacre the original CP to retro-fit a different type of stick to it.
I'm just about done with the construction on it, and decided to drop in a set of NOS Wico 8-ways I had laying around because the T-stiks were wearing me out on long play sessions with the temporary CP.

The T-stiks are really a preference thing.
They have almost no throw to them, and are the stiffest stick I've ever played with.
The Pac-sticks by contrast have a relatively long throw to them, and are alot less stiff.

TurboC--:
Hmm.

NoOne=NBA=:
Did you already pitch the one with the trivia holes in it?
If not, you'd be amazed what a little JBWeld, and some bondo will do for filling in the holes.

Somebody around here had a set of sideart stencils for Pacman.
You might do a search, and see if they still have them.
I can't really help you with the sideart recovery because I haven't ever personally done it.
There is one place that makes repro art for Pac cabs though.

I think having the CPO similar to the original, but layed out to fit your controls is the route to go on this.
I would go for the "hide-a-control" method, and use all black controls in black areas of the CP, so that it's not immediately apparent that it's not a real Pac machine.

TurboC--:
I'd never pitch anything substantial from my cab until I was sure I was done with it and that it was totally worthless.  (Well, I pitched the "? Trivia ?" sticker that I peeled off the side - that was mainly out of spite!)  Actually, underneath the trivia panel facing is most of the original wood panel that still has the original openings for the Pac 4-way stick, buttons etc.  But it's kinda amateur-looking and might not fit my desired control configuration anyway.  I'll have to look at it again.

How stupid is a 1.5" trackball?  I can't really get a good handle on how small that is (is that really the diameter??)  The problem is that the larger trackballs w/ mounting kit, look like they will never fit in this control panel, unless I extend it down, further messing up the original Pac-Man look.  JBWeld looks pretty cool, I may use it. 

Sorry for pestering with a million questions in 1 day.  I'll try to read more of the FAQs and maybe get more of the basics down, as far as how to do the panel and facing etc.  Lots to learn...

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