pkt-zer0: Actually, Chris Avellone didn't work on Fallout, only on Fallout 2. Anyway, the Fallout Bible is also viewable
here.
Weclock: there's no way it could be oblivion with guns, anyone who told you that is ignorant and probably lied about playing the game.
Congratulations, you just called the game's executive producer ignorant and a liar. :D
Then he must be so. Because the V.A.T.S. system and the fact the game has been optimized for play in the third person, REALLY set it apart from Oblivion, and the fact that not only does it have guns, but it's in a post-nuclear setting, that really sets it apart too. To make such a bland generalization to say 'It's Oblivion with guns.' is ignorant of all the other features, and if I had been a developer under him, I'd be extremely offended because he would have just completely disregarded all of their work.
I could put guns in a PC port of Oblivion if I wanted, it's easy (compared to what Fallout 3 is).