It was in no way meant like I was hurt from it. :D
I was kinda kidding about it, actually. I like getting critique from more experienced people cuz I know it can become so much better than way.
People wouldn't give you critic if they thought you had no potential to improve. Take it as a complement that they see a promising artist.
There's one thing you'll learn quickly here - people tend to be very direct and honest about critiques, and don't always balance it out with positive comments. I nearly left soon after I got here because of that, but you realize they don't mean anything hurtful by it, it's all in an attempt to help you become a better pixel artist.
As for stuff I'd change - the ground is it well, but it does go down rather far. I'd probably cut down that transition to fit entirely in the height of the lightest one now, so it doesnt look like the light is piercing the ground. Cutting down on the height would take out a lot of that unnecessary empty space too, which would tighten up the piece and make it less empty feeling. Changing the empty areas under the arches to be the darkest shade may also make it look more "dimly lit" rather than "empty"
But it's looking good so far, don't let it get you down, those are just ideas to make it look better. If you're ever curious, posting in the WIP section of the forums could get you some good feedback on how to improve your pieces as you work on them.
Mann, you make me feel all depressed, I'll fix it tommorrow... and add more stuffs to background etc.
the pallete is distracting, no doubt, but the vast empty spaces even more so. why is the screen so tall, when barely any of the text box is utilized? all that empty space detracts from the knight (who needs a sword if he's gonna make it out of this dungeon alive)
what's behind the arches? drywall? :)
a bit empty.
wild pallete approaches. will you attack? >y / n
The floor is very well lit, but I don't think it should be. The lighting around the torches looks very good. In the same way, the floor should be lit only a little around each torch. Maybe the background behind each arch could also be much darker and have a very faint/dark brick pattern.
Update'd