Well the real code (while i can post it aster a bit of pruning) is getting very unwieldy.
as an example.
prog_uint8_t Colour_Texture_1 [192] PROGMEM = {140,137,201,153,152,213,130,133,194,134,139,198,143,148,213,142,142,205,135,134,197,115,119,182,142,140,202,146,143,203,132,135,195,138,142,200,149,154,215,136,137,199,125,126,186,111,112,174,135,134,197,130,126,183,122,116,171,128,125,183,150,151,213,143,141,203,135,128,187,117,116,176,126,126,190,131,134,196,123,116,171,130,125,181,138,141,204,142,140,205,143,137,198,138,139,203,126,125,186,134,136,196,127,119,175,128,121,177,136,138,198,136,138,206,134,129,190,139,138,201,121,116,173,126,122,178,129,123,181,97,79,123,128,124,183,125,126,189,128,121,179,126,125,188,111,102,156,118,110,163,107,91,136,90,66,106,126,118,173,117,112,167,121,114,169,120,119,184,109,98,152,120,115,170,99,81,125,97,78,121,120,112,169,117,113,173,115,107,163,116,116,181};
that works fine
prog_uint8_t long_sea_1 [1920] PROGMEM = {0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,10,11,20,0,14,161,0,22,249,0,24,255,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,4,21,189,0,23,251,0,24,255,0,23,254,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,4,27,47,255,0,23,255,0,24,255,0,23,254,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,6,7,36,62,78,242,7,28,230,0,21,240,0,24,255,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,25,26,34,106,121,255,19,20,23,0,14,171,0,23,253,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,43,0,0,0,0,6,76,0,23,253,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,7,91,0,23,253,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,27,0,22,245,0,23,253,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,10,0,17,196,0,24,255,0,24,255,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,23,28,76,3,26,249,0,24,255,0,24,255,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,32,44,159,0,22,236,0,21,237,0,23,254,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,138,149,249,24,26,44,0,9,120,0,23,253,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,14,24,128,17,20,43,0,6,77,0,23,253,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,12,0,18,213,0,23,254,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,10,0,19,213,0,23,249,0,24,255,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,37,43,101,2,24,248,0,24,255,0,23,254,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,87,97,181,17,38,248,0,22,250,0,23,254,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,70,77,144,89,97,182,0,0,52,0,21,233,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,33,36,57,15,16,28,0,3,38,0,20,224,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,3,41,0,21,236,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,17,210,0,23,255,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,13,152,0,22,243,0,24,255,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,33,0,22,246,0,24,255,0,23,254,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,80,88,166,11,30,232,0,19,227,0,23,254,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,8,9,14,138,147,230,30,34,69,0,3,44,0,19,221,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,61,65,113,15,17,38,0,0,0,0,16,182,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,4,57,0,20,229,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,19,219,0,23,255,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,13,0,18,211,0,23,246,0,24,255,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,7,148,0,21,248,0,22,244,0,23,253,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,69,86,255,21,33,164,0,10,116,0,19,218,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,13,99,112,243,11,11,11,0,0,7,0,18,197,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,62,69,142,5,5,8,0,0,10,0,17,198,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,2,0,2,32,0,19,226,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,2,29,0,19,223,0,23,255,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,15,189,0,24,255,0,24,255,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,3,48,0,16,238,0,24,255,0,24,255,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,4,19,192,67,82,237,0,14,216,0,22,245,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,9,15,81,83,98,249,1,5,52,0,2,25,0,18,200,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,30,38,134,109,118,217,0,0,10,0,1,20,0,18,211,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,4,15,17,32,0,0,0,0,4,63,0,23,252,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,3,47,0,21,245,0,23,254,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,6,0,16,196,0,24,255,0,24,255,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,13,16,55,10,31,243,0,23,253,0,24,255,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,6,20,186,6,20,168,0,11,126,0,21,238,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,5,6,4,120,135,255,49,53,89,0,0,0,0,10,130,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,24,27,63,60,66,123,0,0,0,0,2,31,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,10,118,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,15,0,11,143,0,22,245,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,10,0,16,193,0,24,255,0,24,255,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,5,80,0,23,254,0,24,255,0,24,255,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,3,15,38,255,3,23,231,0,20,231,0,20,232,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,9,162,36,56,248,4,18,155,0,13,162,0,21,241,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,8,113,123,219,62,77,226,14,16,37,0,0,0,0,12,149,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,62,70,145,80,89,177,10,12,39,0,0,0,0,9,100,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,13,13,21,40,42,68,17,18,31,0,0,0,0,11,134,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,9,10,15,37,39,60,0,0,22,0,20,234,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,8,0,18,205,0,22,245,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,2,0,18,203,0,21,243,0,24,255,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,9,108,0,21,245,0,23,252,0,24,255,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,24,255,0,21,244,0,24,255,0,24,255,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,60,67,85,255,0,21,252,11,33,246,0,22,244,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,5,16,146,73,90,255,74,91,251,56,71,221,0,17,217,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,28,30,61,82,100,255,108,120,246,61,69,152,0,0,3,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,6,70,33,42,128,0,0,0,0,10,126,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,3,46,0,20,231,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,2,11,116,0,23,255,0,23,254,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,66,71,123,18,39,249,0,24,255,0,24,255,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,4,25,43,240,0,20,251,0,23,254,0,23,253,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,19,117,129,255,18,20,40,0,0,0,0,12,147,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,35,41,89,16,18,51,0,0,0,0,4,57,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,6,71,0,20,235,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,5,0,14,166,0,22,245,0,24,255,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,11,147,0,23,255,0,24,254,0,23,247,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,12,141,0,22,241,0,21,237,0,19,229,0,17,240,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,25,0,16,214,0,12,235,0,10,231,0,14,239,0,0,252,0,0,0,0,0,0,5,8,38,33,55,250,0,6,203,0,3,34,0,4,65,0,15,219,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,36,96,110,247,12,30,203,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,3,39,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,87,95,169,35,51,208,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,2,28,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,17,17,24,39,43,85,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,2,28};
that doesn't.
after a bit of searching and head scratching i found this discussion on the subject.
http://www.avrfreaks.net/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=printview&t=80105&start=0
i was really just running this by the forum to see if it was correct or not. for my tests their defiantly seems to be a limit but i wanted a definite yes or no so as to be sure it wasn't something else. I'm not running out of sram i know that.