Thanks for the long replies, guys. I want to note a couple things though:
The house is
directly ripped from Zelda, until I get a replacement graphic. I wasn't happy with any of my attempts at a proper tower.
The rocks...well. The rocks have been changed so many times now, and I absolutely loathe trying to draw edge tiles (they're something of a weakness of mine). They looked like this before - much too warm, but a little more interesting. Should I try something like this for the edges?
As for the character, yeah, he's pretty unnoticeable down there. It might be a size issue, but I'm reluctant to depart from that comical 16x16 squashed look.
I'm gonna be doing a beach scene and a bong tower (you'll see) next, so keep your eyes peeled.