I always hated Oblivion's forts since there was never anything to do in the tower, only in the dungeons of the tower. They might've done away with the tower and simply put an entrance in the ground.

I understand that there are some ruined forts in the wilderness but I would also like to see some intact forts where the tower still has a roof.
Maybe it's occupied by a wizard or some soldiers out patrolling.

Yup. Mod did it for Oblivion: http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=22965

So unrealistic that every single fort was abandoned and ruined in Oblivion. Immersion breaker.

But anyway. I think things will be (have already) changed in Skyrim. They've focused a lot more on the dungeons and everything. They can't have missed this. It's impossible.

Sometimes you could find a bottle of Shadowbanish wine (spelled correctly?)

They did it better in Fallout 3, so it's probably nothing to worry about.
In fact, everything about communities (large or small) were handled in a better way in FO3.
I hope and believe that it will be even better in Skyrim.

I hope they stop calling 'em 'forts'...
they're nothing but towers...
I hope we see some actual strongholds... which would be allowed the title of a fort... everything still working... but captured by bandits... the main gate is only openable from the inside... leaving you with the choice of magic or finding a hidden entrence... most should however not have hidden entrances...

What I particularly disliked about the ruined forts in Oblivion is that they were often in the stupidest places to put a fort.