less materials is better in general but it doesn't make any difference whether the mesh has multiple materials on it or not cos it'll get broken up by material when rendered anyway separate parts is a generally a good idea for stuff like windowframes or anything relatively dense since you can re-use it an thus save memory…
Look into neox's and dimwalkers suggestions. With a bit of finessing you should be able to fix overlaps. Edit: Rejoice! It looks like you can pin verts with unwrap pro after all =) https://polycount.com/discussion/235489/uv-straightening-and-its-perks-on-lod-generation
been mucking about with a simple stone generator for max it's basically a geosphere with random clipping planes (the demo object has a mesh smooth with 2 iterations on it plus some box mapping). Anyway the script is attached for anyone who wants to play :)
Hey guys just made this, getting to grips with quixel now. Any feedback welcome, thanks. TO NOTE: It's just been designed off of various generators, so not a certain type of generator.
Really striking ! The speed at which both the characters and environment are evolving is inspiring. These breakdowns and wireframe shots are great. Maybe one day, more big studios will finally realize the value of working that way (not necessarily with unlit assets, but at low specs in general). Can't wait to see more !