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when Samwise a hobbit, and not the greatest one at that, was clutching the ring, Snaga (I believe it was him the orc who was running down the stairs) saw him as a huge, threatening figure. How would the other minions of Sauron see a more powerful ringlord actively using the ring?
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A very good point, and it also had its effect on Shagrat who was probably about as strong-willed as an orc could be, although Shagrat still held onto his purpose in that encounter. I think the effect on orcs (and indeed on lots of people) would have been even more intense for somebody who was actively trying to claim and use the Ring. I think that is part of the reason why Sauron would try to force a personal encounter quickly. However, I think Sauron would probably have a similar effect on those in his presence and in any case the new Ringlord could only be in once place at a time and I think the overpowering dread the Ring would inspire would be a...well, for lack of a better way of phrasing it a limited area-of-effect spell. It could dominate its immediate vicinity but this particular effect would not dominate the field.
As far as what would happen on the field, questions about terrain etc. are unanswerable unless one wanted to construct scenarios that would obviously be non-canonical in the extreme (even though it would probably be interesting). However, it must be remembered that Sauron was far from strategically incompetent, as his performance showed. He was defeated at the Pelennor Fields because the enemy achieved a tactical and strategic masterstroke in simultaneously robbing him of his reinforcements and getting in the rear of his army. This would cause the defeat of almost any army.
In the battle with the new Ringlord I think that Sauron and the new Ringlord would have been using their respective armies for two different purposes. The new Ringlord would have used his/her army to try and defeat Sauron. Sauron would have used his army to try and pin down the enemy so he could go take back what was his. Two different purposes, but put both of them together and it favors Sauron getting what he wanted.