Yeah, you did a pretty good job putting into words just what is wrong with it.
The thing is that it also seems like it is designed to get people to buy CP, and well, doesn't do anything to bolster sales of day 1 purchases I doubt. Why else does the story just go up to CP. It's like it is to set up CP.
Budget is one thing, but there might also be time frame. It feels like it was made to try to meet the CP date.
They really didn't spend any time on CT and it shows. And I don't think you can just take a game story and try to 1:1 adapt it to an anime, which is almost exactly what they are doing.