Well we are not even 1/4th into the series and the main players so to speak has just been introduced. They ARE showing hints and laying down the ground work for the character development right now. Shirou's conversations with the other characters for the most part give us a hint of where hes at and that last conversation with Archer hint at where he might end up. Just because they dont show all their cards upfront doesnt mean they don't have any.
Although I agree without having played the game and looking at the anime ep by ep the criticism may seem valid, but I dont think there are many series that has much character development either in the first 6 eps. Also some game players who have prior knowledge of the story and characters will be understandably irritated when we see these criticisms. Just be patient and wait until a good number of eps have been aired
