I agree that all sculptumakers actualy work with mesh all the time, ill point out one example of the same armor, on work proces....
http://fealons.deviantart.com/#/d48hgpd
on this image u can see alot sculpted parts... for each i nead to make UV map and texture... its realy painfull process and take alot time to make, becouse first i nead to make shape and export uv map..than same object i devide to be high detiled polymesh to create high detiled texture, than apply to low poly sculpted object in world.
Its easier to merge all parts together and make one object, than just make one texture out of it.. so u can export to colada file with LOD1,2,3
I just want to say that we whuld not have problem making mesh stuff at all, Only problem is that SL nead to make that possible as shuld without this bunch issues we have already... for that nead a little bit more time, but if i am right we already know what is the mesh ?> No big deal.