Simply put, I'm making a mod to make Orc strongholds better. Now the tile-set for Orc architecture is very limited with only a few awnings and the core longhouse. Now I have been able to use the stockade tile kit because the strongholds are often surrounded by stockade barriers. However, when it comes to the interior I often have a mish-mash of different structures. Reskinning doesn't take much effort, but is it neccesary to use the same stockade wood texture on a building just because its exterior wall is surrounded by it? Does a farmhouse mesh need to be reskinned to match the orc longhouse? Jury-rigging meshes together in NifSkope takes a lot of time and if I try to use 3DS Max for the advanced tools its exporter makes it an even bigger pain in the but. So I ask you this...what level of continuity is important?

Do I need to reskin everything within the same hold to a similar texture set?
Does using tile sets to build free-standing and pieced together meshes do the job?
Should I be combining them in NifSkope or Max to give them a more proffesional and natural look?
Now each of the various Orc holds, as well as new ones that I am putting in could have a different architectural style. Is it necessary to even use the Orc tile set in some locations?
Would it be out of place for Orcs to live in the standard farmhouse or even a broken down fort? Maybe a cave or on a mountain?

Now you don't have to answer all of these questions or even any of them, but I would appreciate some feedback on what level of architectural continuity is important to you. On both a mesh and texture based level.

I think what makes something feel alive and believable is based on how immersive it is; and one important aspect of immersion is continuity.

Not sure if you've played Demon Souls for PS3, (I highly recommend it), but there is this particular area in the game that one of the places that has a feeling of uniformity and immersion that is just incredible.
It's not just in style, but the content, sound, props and the like. Everything comes together in one mesh, and makes the place feel...unique, alive, and very haunting

If you don't mind spoilers, you can look here and take notes. If you haven't played the game and are interested in playing it, I would recommend not going past around 4:48: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irhutnqvtmQ&hd=1

As you watch it just try to concentrate on the architectural choices and how those things come together. It's not directly related to the project you're working on, but it should give you an idea of how important continuity is for making something feel as believable as possible.

Appreciate the response. I guess I should clarify a bit as well, its not that I have a total mish-mash of random meshes and objects thrown together to make an area. But things like two different types of wood textures on structures in a similar area , or structures which could be meshed together using an external program, but I've chosen to piece together within the CS environment. Do people consider these acceptable?

Obviously as a lone modder I don't have the resources of a developer to make a fully continuous settlement the way Markarth was built right into the mountain. I don't want people to get turned off of my mod because they decided they didn't like the looks of a particular mesh/texture combination, but I also don't want to spend days upon days dealing with meshes and textures if people don't really care either way.

Wood textures in real life vary by age and weather, even if the wood type is the same. Likewise for brick, concrete, stone, etc. Also, if a structure has been modified/built on top of for several generations, then it only stands to reason that not all the materials would be the same. There's no reason fences or barricades must be made of the same materials as the structures inside; if they are, is it probably because that was the only material the builders had on hand at the time, and it was all built at once. So, look at your site, does the mis-matching makes sense? Is there a reason for it, and can you make it obvious to the player without throwing it in just because? For example, maybe there is a reason a particular group of orcs lives in a fort and not an orc camp. Did their camp burn to the ground? Or is it still there but full of lice, and therefore they prefer the fort?

I guess what I'm trying to say is this: if there's a good story about why your stuff is the way it is, then it's fine to stay the way it is. But if there isn't, you will probably be much happier with your mod if you put the extra time in to at least getting some continuity with textures and making one or two really special pieces Max that really bring it all together. If it looks like a hack job to you, then it will probably look less than amazing to other players as well. And there's no better satisfaction than knowing you really pushed yourself to produce the best quality stuff you can.

Very nice and motivational post! I basically made every mistake I could on the first pieced-together mesh in Max when I exported it into the game through NifSkope. However, now that I have spent so much time correcting my mistakes I am less likely to make the same ones in the future. I figure, as long as I don't move too hastily, anything can be undone, redone, or removed if the time comes.

We're always open to new tile sets, whether they're retextures or not. Modders tend to want a level of uniqueness to their abodes, and you just can't achieve that with vanilla resources. (Since everyone else is also using those same exact pieces...)

Admittedly, not all modder's resources end up getting used. It really just depends on the quality and demand.