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Not having a trackball, big mistake?

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ahofle:

--- Quote from: DaveMMR on August 01, 2006, 02:01:30 pm ---
--- Quote ---I think your layout looks good, so I'm not sure what the issue you have with it is.
--- End quote ---

Except for the angles of the joysticks.  Parallel and straight. 

--- End quote ---

I agree that angling the sticks is not good, but how can you tell they are angled from the image he provided (ie no visible bolt pattern)?  I just assumed that the sticks were perpendicular to the bezel, and I don't see much of a problem having the buttons a bit slanted (although personally I'd have them all level).

pointdablame:
A few things:

You layout would likely work fine as long as you didnt angle the joysticks.  The button placement woudln't be a big deal IMO and could work fairly well.

If you just *HAD* to have a trackball and wanted a straight button layout, you could grind away an area of the trackball plate for some more room.  Someone did that previously and it worked fine.

If you don't think you'll play many trackball games, don't wast the time, money, and CP space.  For me, I have a number of Windows games that I *need* on my machine and love the old trackball games, so no trackball is not an option for me.

1) Mouse within windows
2) PC games that use trackball (Tiger woods, hamsterball, etc etc)
3) Marble Madness
4) Missile Command 

That's enough reason for me right there.  if you don't care about any of that, don't bother, your CP will look cleaner.

Also, you mention "4/8 way Supers"  Be aware that IMO (and the opinions of many others) that the Super is a pretty bad 4way joystick, and swapping them to 4way is not easy.  If you really want a 4/8 way setup, either get a joy that is a better 4way in 4way mode, is more easily swappable, or have 2 seperate joys.  Just my .02, but I can't stand Supers in 4way.  Get a Ms. Pac Reunion stick which is based on teh Super but much better.

Sizzler:

--- Quote from: leapinlew on August 01, 2006, 01:31:14 pm ---You could try mounting it without the trackball plate.
--- End quote ---

It's true.  Not only is the plate bigger than the trackball but the trackball assembly is also probably not square.  Since trackballs are shaped more like a rhombus than a square, you can utilize the space where the two corners would be if it were square.

ahofle:

--- Quote from: pointdablame on August 01, 2006, 03:03:58 pm ---1) Mouse within windows
2) PC games that use trackball (Tiger woods, hamsterball, etc etc)
3) Marble Madness
4) Missile Command 

--- End quote ---

Have you ever tried the PC game 'Feeding Frenzy'?  That (and Zuma) are the only games my wife is even remotely interested in playing on my cab.  Feeding Frenzy works incredibly well with a trackball -- in fact I've even seen an Ultracade stand up cab version of it in a local arcade here.

DaveMMR:

--- Quote from: ahofle on August 01, 2006, 02:38:01 pm ---
--- Quote from: DaveMMR on August 01, 2006, 02:01:30 pm ---
--- Quote ---I think your layout looks good, so I'm not sure what the issue you have with it is.
--- End quote ---

Except for the angles of the joysticks.  Parallel and straight. 

--- End quote ---

I agree that angling the sticks is not good, but how can you tell they are angled from the image he provided (ie no visible bolt pattern)?  I just assumed that the sticks were perpendicular to the bezel, and I don't see much of a problem having the buttons a bit slanted (although personally I'd have them all level).

--- End quote ---

I assumed they are angled because the layout of the buttons led to that logical conclusion.  If someone not in the know (a friend, relative, etc. who doesn't know anything about bolt patters) went up to the CP to play a game, they might think the same thing and be confused when the charcater is not moving the way they expect it.  If the buttons are laid out that way for some ergonomic reason, they probably should be curved identically and work along an imaginary horizontal line. 

Assuming the joystick is staight: Will the buttons that way work?   Yes.   Is it the best way to lay them out?  Not at all.   

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