Fixed size art, artist needed, Game system, Read please

I'm desiging a new RPG multiplayer system that allows telnet connections.
The networking already all works, player handling, etc. And now i'm desiging
the game.

Unlike your normal telnet MUDS, this is going to be quite different.
Although still operating in line-by-line mode (char-by-char mode is toooo slow)
The screen will be 'frozen' in pace except for an input field and a dynamically
changing field above it, where 'game information', messages and artwork appears
Maps, room descriptions, etc.  I really would like to invest a large portion
of the 'feel' of the game to the artwork. (this is not like a mud. although it
is multiplayer, and there will be conversation, its not gonna be hundreds of
global chat messages flowing around and chatter globally scrolling all the
time, instead of thosands of rooms, 50% of them not being unique and looking
all the same except different room names, we will have a quality world with
good descriptions and 'artwork' for each area/room. this system focuses more
on the GAME rather than on the chatting that SOME muds seem to focus on)

(there is a scren layout picture at the bottom of the message)

I got to desiging the screen and realizied I knew nothing of ASCII art.
Basically, I'm stuck on the SIZE and the DIMENSIONS of the 'artwork' view
field space. How small is too small? should there be more columns than lines?
Of course if you happen to trench into a dungeon, you'll see a view such as:

\           /
 \         /~
~ \       /~
 ~~|-----|  ~           Again, I'm no ascii artist, but you get the idea
   |`  ``| ~
~ ~|` ` `|~ ~
 ~ |-----|~
~ / .. .  \~~
 /.  . . . \~
/  .  . . . \

Now most people have bigger screens than 80x25, although people with 80x25
screens will be able to work with the adventure system just fine (basically
larger screen people will be able to tell the mud how big the screen is, etc.
and portions of the screen can become larger.

However, the ART picture ascii art 'section/view' will remain the same size.
Now since I believe most people will have bigger than 80x25 in terms of x and y
for columns and line size, I'm not afraid to make the art section as big
as it NEEDS to be in order to gain the most flexibility for the art and
room pictures, etc.

here is a quick example of what I have in mind:

/------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
|                              |This is where the server sends                 |
|                              |You text in response to the                    |
|                              |Commands and words that you                    |
|                              |Type and send to                               |
|        30x12                 |the server. This space                         |
|        Art Space             |                                               |
|                              |is very                                        |
|  Bigger?                     |                                               |
|                              |coooooooooooool                                |
|  Different dimensions?       |                                               |
|      (x by Y)                |Sembiance says, "Hi there! hehe                |
|------------------------------|                                               |
|Maybe Stats                   |                                               |
|Sembiance        etc.         |blah blah blah, this can all change            |
|    HP 200/200                |                                               |
| Int 9                        |                                               |
| Str 9        Platinum 20     |                                               |
|                 Gold 100     |                                               |
|  etc.        Silver 2000     |                                               |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|                                                                              |
|You get to type here hehe                                                     |
|This input field stays here                                                   |
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------/


Basically I need to raise some debate and discussion from everyone, artists,
game players, etc. on how big I need the art space. Of course, anyone who
wants to help out with actual art, and the desiging and creation of the world
I'd be glad to have help.

I'd like to keep dicussion in the newsgroup, after all, thats what a newsgroup
is for ;)  (and so that deja news searchers can find this thread years in the
future in its entirity)
If you need to email me its:   ber...@ncinter.net

I look forward to hearing your input.

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