As they are now, Orc strongholds are little more than a walled mine containing several orcs. There are no quests beyond the initial fetch quest required for entry, a quest orcs (the race that should get the most out of an orc stronghold) do not recieve.

I propose that orc strongholds be handled as factions, with full quest lines (not padded with radiant fetch quests) that end with the stronghold(s) of the player's choosing expanding to the size of a city. On the way, there could be civil war style battles between forsworn and orcs, nords and orcs, and maybe even orcs and draugr as the orcs secure more territory for their strongholds. It'd also be nice to see orcs wearing more than furs and using better weapons than iron and steel since they're supposed to be the best armourers in the whole damn world.

As a side note: I think the orcish armour in Skyrim is terribly ugly. In past games, orcish armour has been ornate and finely crafted and now it's just flat, green crap. Maybe a set of armour called "Fine Orcish Armour" could be added that's more consistent with the appearance of Morrowind and Oblivion's orcish armours and maybe on par with Ebony in protection.

Agreed. The Orcish Armor in Oblivion looked great, and was disappointed that it went all green in Skyrim. I find the lack of anything interesting about the Orc strongholds could be a good excuse to go into more dept with the Orcs in future content. Perhaps Orsinium?

I don't know how expanding an orc stronghold in a city would work out...since only the chieftain can marry or have children. How many orcs would want to move to a stronghold to be denied all of their rights they had in Nord cities?

What I would like is being able to start an orc fort for your character, and move in with your spouse.

Even if the chief is the only one who can have children, why does a group that has been in Skyrim longer than the nords still live in settlements that house only 5-6 people?

As an alternative, part of the quest line could be a modernization of orcish culture; a compromise between the code of Malacath and "normal" society necessary to strengthen their people.

Where did you get the idea that those orcs have been there longer than Nords. Nords have been in Skyrim since like... forever. First era?