Well, the answer is pretty simple - the writers simply have to stop using melodrama as a substitute for the character development of villains (and other Fire Emblem characters, too). Now that I think about it, I realize that Awakening never focused upon character change - everyone just stuck to their gimmicky personalities even though Validar hit the fan and everything was going to Grima. Perhaps if the Awakening characters significantly changed through the development of the story, writers would be forced to make the plot deeper. I was hoping that Fates was going to improve upon Awakening in this regard, but from what I have been hearing about the game, I think I would be better off keeping my expectations for the game low.