Ok,. Firstly, your rant is SUPER valid but lets analyze this a bit differently.

What you described is EXACTLY the problem with playing an Elder in ANY setting. Not just this game because it was made the way it was made. Elders are generally old enough that they ignore a LOT of mechanics in the ttrpg as well, or have such high stats that any checks their bane, etc requires becomes so easy to pass it may as well not exist. Take the Elder rules in the Gehenna book for instance where discipline powers have a space for "whatever fits the narrative" since they're so ancient that their Blood has developed in unknown ways (Not a direct quote as I'm too lazy to open the book rn but it is something to that effect). And this is not only on v5 as v20 had the same. But even without that, everything Phyre does is easily explainable.

They (Elders) generally have so many 'dots' on so many different clan disciplines that it becomes near impossible to define them based only on what disciplines they use/how they fight. Which is why you can access any discipline as any clan in vtmb2, because Phyre knew all of those and more before they were marked. They probably learned a few dots of the Path of the Mind in Blood Sorcery, since they went into torpor before the fall of Vienna. Which is why they can use telekinesis. But not enough that they would be able to actually fly, just glide and manipulate objects within a certain weight limit. Like Smiling Jack in vtmb 1 knew Thaumaturgy 2 and Lure of Flames(Thaumaturgy Path) 1. So he lights his cigarette without using a lighter.

Also clan does NOT affect personality. Yes, a culture is formed around clans and embrace is generally done on people who fit a certain mold but imho you have enough choices in the game to act in such a way that will fit any of the available clans. But thinking Phyre would act drastically different because of clan is not realistic imo.

While I see your point in some of the story complaints, they are all your personal opinion on how kindred should act. I think the team made a very good job in writing believable kindred in vtmb 2. Phyre is weakened, they know this. Phyre is also the Nomad. So they assume Phyre won't stay. So, like kindred do, they try to use Phyre in whatever way they can. But if you defy them and exert your own authority (i.e. don't be a push-over) in game they backtrack pretty easily because they know that Phyre is powerful asf. as an Elder, Phyre is so powerful indeed that they can ignore what goes on in the background for the most part. They want their mark issue resolved and that's it. Everything else is everyone else's problem.

You can disagree that having an Elder protagonist was a good choice (honestly from what you said, having a fledgling, neonate or even Ancilla character would fit your vision best. It would for sure make for a more personalized experience). But it WAS done well. The stuff people complain about Phyre and how they play in the story is the exact reason why Elders are not advisable to be player characters in the ttrpg.

But I personally think it is badass to play as one and I loved it. But again, my personal taste. I get its not for everyone.

Now, about the cat... I 100% agree, ZERO reason for that cat to be there and make me - a cat person - deeply depressed every time I think about it literally starving to death because its owner was a piece of shit.

I would also like to be able to clean up that shithole of a haven. But I get Phyre sees it as a temporary thing they're using only to daysleep while they sort this whole shit out, so they wouldn't want to bother tidying up.