I think this is very interesting.
But something that might even be more interesting are the different types of people giving critique.
What makes critique different is not only taste and experience, but also motivation.
Personally I try to make edits to learn myself, at least that's the big carrot for me, each time I give critique I actually learn a lot because I'm looking at something with fresh eyes and I can draw from my experience and everything I've learned so far, which is a good way to keep that knowledge fresh and make sure it's also valid. And I also learn how to break down a piece of art and find problem areas.
There's also a lot of problem solving, how do I make this shape with a limited amount of pixels, the shading, textures, palette, everything.
A lot of critique will be incredibly biased, I know that a lot of artists here try to push their own art style on others, which I don't agree with because then we're just creating clones.
And most importantly, if you have a specific art style, you need to realize that it's not gonna work for every single purpose. Of course, you can make a pastel palette horror game, but if the purpose is a gritty and dark game, then it's not the way to go.
That being said, I still appreciate the posts and the effort put into them, it's still great to see a piece in a different style and it can be helpful in many ways.
There's also instance where an edit might be way way above the original posters level, in those cases it really helps with a step by step.
But some of the edits just go from nothing to "oh hi, here's a completely new sprite with a similar palette and style" and again, I personally love to see these edits but they might not be
that helpful for the original poster unless he can properly analyze and see how the piece was put together.
Just brainstorming a bit here, but the motivation for critique can vary greatly.
1. The provoked response - a piece that you think is so bad you have to point out all the obvious flaws.
2. I see a potential here - where you see something that has the right feel, but lacks in technique or polish.
3. Personal interest - where you post an edit because you love the style or the motif.
4. Look what I can do - where you just want to show off or get validation on your critique.
5. Great idea! - Where you got a great idea from looking at a piece and just have to try it out.
6. Helping hand - Helping people is fun.
I think most people have a mix of these motivations, if not all of them at once. These might also explain why a thread might not get a reply at all..