I'm going to respectfully disagree with you Lance. There really is a gap between AOTC and mainstream Clone Wars. Palpatine seized some power in AOTC, but not enough to direct the war without the Senate's oversight. Him gaining that impunity is something that has never really been showcased, and is important to the Republic's downfall.
You have to understand that the Jedi have not been an organized fighting force for over 1,000 years, and the Ruusan Reformation prevented them from serving as an army after General Hoth's Army of the Light. Plus, why would they have wanted to get involved with a war against one of their own? A war which MANY Jedi, like Depa, disagreed with . I think that is an important story to tell and to be frank essential.
I've always felt that Star Wars is not only about action/adventure, there's a lot of extremely interesting story telling besides that and to have every story be a battlefield epic or mission impossible type thriller is rather redundant. That's not to say there will not be considerable time devoted to action/adventure in the series, but like you said, "There are so many areas in the SW universe that are ripe for exploration and expansion.", not all of them will fit in action/adventure cookie cutter. Now that's not to say I don't understand where you are coming from. I realize this episode will not be for everyone and that is okay. But it is how I wanted to start the series. I always appreciate your comments Lance, few take the time to give the insightful feedback you do, so I certainly thank you for taking the time to offer your critique once again.