Fallout 3 is only really that bad when you consider that you're often using a few cheap missile weapons, which won't do so much damage to the creatures in the game (even though they probably could do that with raiders). The melee combat in Fallout 3, especially without the perks, is rather realistic. A melee weapon, in the hands of an expert, is more than capable of doing things like that.

Of course, your character shouldn't be an expert in TES5 as soon as you load the game, so that sort of thing should be rare. As your character's skill increases, the injuries to their opponents should also increase. I don't want a sword to make someone's backside burst into flames, but a warhammer doesn't make them stagger back, and a strike with a claymore to the leg would cut it off. As long as people don't explode when you stab them...

I just think it would be difficult to implement dismemberment in a tasteful and sensible manner.

It would be easy to make it sensible. But you can't have it both tasteful and sensible. You either want realistic combat, or you don't.

Fixed.

I think you should read the discussion in http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?s=&showtopic=1029433&view=findpost&p=14907901 thread.
(DON'T RESURRECT IT!)

More gore would be pretty cool yeah. It would be pretty fun if bits and pieces of zombies fell of when you beat them up
Generally I think TES should go way darker in general which includes getting more bloody.

Never played the original Fallout eh?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne-aB9Z4cCw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RizVcwSSNmY&feature=related

The gore level in Fallout 3 is part of what makes Fallout, Fallout, imho.

if thts wht makes fallout fallou t then it can stay in fallout but theres no need for tht level of gore. a darker feel with some nasty background or situation but in combat i wouldnt want things senslisly blow the [censored] up in my frieking face. Good in F3 but doenst belong in ES to tht extent.

I want it to be rated T

It will most likely be rated "M", as i suspect they will not remove the burning corposes or the hanging morts.