The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls

Main => Project Announcements => Topic started by: drakmarr on December 26, 2015, 07:16:51 pm

Title: Introduction, Announcement, & Retro Home Arcade Project
Post by: drakmarr on December 26, 2015, 07:16:51 pm
Hi guys; first I want to say this site rocks!!! I have been absorbing everything I can for a couple months now from it!

Secondly I am finally starting a dream project of mine since I was a kid in the 80s; my very own arcade/game room.  :cheers:
I have early project details here:
A Game Room that is inspired by a modernized version of an 1980's Arcade. The final room will contain the following: a 4 player MAME Arcade Cabinet , 2 bar stools and a table, wall decorations, retro console display and monitor, minibar + jukebox, a supreme VR/Simulation station, and general lounge furniture.

Now that being said I am wanting to find out 2 things, and the first is what are the Best Sanwa buttons that you all have interacted with (I will be going sanwa sticks), and is it best to just custom build LED lights into them or is this something that is already integrated.

My project board: https://www.pinterest.com/robertkcroft/retro-home-arcade-project/ (https://www.pinterest.com/robertkcroft/retro-home-arcade-project/)

Thanks and I look forward to hanging out with you guys over the coming years.
Title: Retro Home Arcade Project
Post by: drakmarr on January 21, 2016, 02:29:20 pm
Hey guys, cabinet is designed now as well I have gotten through the full size cardboard model, cutting, and began assembling today. I will be lose to finished on assembly and moving into finishing by this weekend. Also I didn't get any feedback to my original questions but have decided to move forward with the Sanwa controls and have figured out how to insert the LED lights.


UPDATED: moved to project board

Cheers!
Title: Re: Introduction, Announcement, & Retro Home Arcade Project
Post by: vwalbridge on January 21, 2016, 02:34:17 pm
The best way to get feedback and answers to questions is:

1. Start a thread in the "Project announcement" section

2. Don't drop links to photo albums and Pintrist boards. Most people don't like being navigated away from BYOAC just to look at a pile of pictures. Rather, post the best pictures IN your build thread.

I don't know what I'm looking at when I'm starring a photo album. I much prefer to have the OP post a meaningful picture and a description of said picture.

Title: Re: Introduction, Announcement, & Retro Home Arcade Project
Post by: BadMouth on January 21, 2016, 03:00:05 pm
FYI in case you haven't seen the many warnings......

Player 3 and 4 joysticks should be mounted square and not angled.  You can angle the buttons so the player stands at an angle, but keep the joystick oriented the same way as player 1 and 2.
(http://newwiki.arcadecontrols.com/images/thumb/d/da/StraightAndAngledSticks.jpg/460px-StraightAndAngledSticks.jpg)

Look at the original 4 player arcade machines and look at where the UP arrows are pointing for players 3 and 4.  If there aren't any up arrows, look at the mounting bolts.
The reason for not angling this sticks is that people instinctively move the stick the direction they want the character to go even if they're standing at an angle.
People can adjust to playing on angled sticks, but it's not as intuitive.  It sucks for guests who haven't used the cab before.
If you still want to angle the joysticks so be it, but don't say you weren't warned.

People on here rail on it because it's a mistake that gets made so often to the point that there are more bad examples than good ones to be found online.
It's not like other things that are a personal preference or aesthetics.  It really is a mistake.


It's counterintuitive, but the truth.

And yeah, I'm not clicking on any dropbox links.  :lol
The best method is to attach pics to a post in the dedicated stickied threads in the Project Announcements subforum, then embed the links in your build thread.
This way the pics are hosted on here and aren't missing from your thread years later when you've moved onto other hobbies.
Attaching to the actual posts in the build thread would be a close second.


Title: Re: Introduction, Announcement, & Retro Home Arcade Project
Post by: drakmarr on January 21, 2016, 03:12:21 pm
So should this topic be moved to a different area? It all seems confusing for me to share my project with you guys hehe.
Title: Re: Introduction, Announcement, & Retro Home Arcade Project
Post by: Slippyblade on January 21, 2016, 04:37:08 pm
So should this topic be moved to a different area? It all seems confusing for me to share my project with you guys hehe.

Nah, not confusing.  Just think of the main purpose of your thread.  This is a project, so Project Announcements would have been best.  The pic thing is a little more awkward for a lot of folks.  We ask that you post pictures wither directly within your thread or to one of the Project Pic threads that are stickied then link in your post.  The reason is that photo albums get shuffled/lost/changed which results in missing pics in threads.  That renders build threads nearly useless when there is a slew of broken image links. 

As far as your question regarding buttons...  there is no "best".  So much about controls is absolutely subjective.  We tend to recommend buying a bunch of single buttons of different make/model/configurations and actually playing with them on a test panel.  That is truly the ONLY way to make a decision.
Title: Re: Introduction, Announcement, & Retro Home Arcade Project
Post by: drakmarr on January 21, 2016, 04:43:33 pm
Cool, I will move my pics to the project announcement thread!  :cheers: