Okay TSR show me how I'm actually supposed to shade this

[Terminal Devastation]

which part are you having problems with?

Honestly, I'm having the most trouble with the base and how it really should be shaded. Since the whole thing is supposed to be a cylinder I want to shade it like a giant one... but not quite sure how to do that without far too many color shades. On the other hand, if I shade it like a cylinder its going to look really odd when I stick charectors on it.

first off, the base or floor shouldn't be one flat color. and your shading/aa on some parts look pillowed/banded.

Understood.

any reason why those rungs/steps are shaded exactly the same, except lightened as they go up?

The original ref has three increasingly extended rungs as it aproaches the lens thing. So its to show they are more towards the foreground, without messing with perspective issues. Part style choice, part being lazy/in a rush. I will test out how actually appling perspective works out, but I'm worried it will mess the details up and end up looking like the rungs are just bigger, rather than more towards the background.

last question: are you sure having the whole thing straight side view is the best approach?

Well, using a 3/4 view might be a little confusing to use, since mostly side view sprites were intended to be used for that, not to mention I'd have to shade a massive, plain flat stone slab, and I have even less clue how to properly shade one of those.

What is that

Its the top of a tower with an oversized lens on top.