I just got to Krokotopia on my ice at level 16 and level 19 in the palace of fire, and mostly everyone I see is level 20 in the first area, I have done mostly every side quest except for sunken city, what am I doing wrong?
When you say "first area," what do you mean? Level 19 on the Palace of Fire is just about average, I'd say. I have a storm wizard that I got to level 15 so that he could garden in a Red Barn Farm, and I reached level 15 when I got to the Palace of Fire. That's 4 levels behind you, though granted I didn't do many side quests. And anyway, when it comes down to it levels don't mean that much in general. There are some milestone levels, obviously, such as level 60 for the Waterworks or level 100 for Darkmoor. However, as long as you progress at your own pace and don't have a ton of trouble, I think that you'll be fine.
If you want a good benchmark to check your progress at any time, simply look at the gear that the enemies are dropping in your current area. If it is higher than your level, you might be a bit behind. Otherwise, you're on track. The game is designed with that in mind after all.
I just got to Krokotopia on my ice at level 16 and level 19 in the palace of fire, and mostly everyone I see is level 20 in the first area, I have done mostly every side quest except for sunken city, what am I doing wrong?
Are you doing main quests only, or main and side? People who do both level up faster than those who just follow the main plot.
I have one wizard who does both; the others stick to the main story only, but it's a matter of personal preference.