The player gets no reference during that "reveal", or otherwise.
The player can ask SH at camp after the reveal about Shar worship and she explains what it means to worship shar in great detail.
A vampire's need for blood is also greatly downplayed
Honestly, if you mean downplayed gameplay-wise, then I don't really want another Gale in my party putting some restricting action but with bloodlust instead of weave-lust. They went with the option that blood makes him stronger (the buff is very good) but he can live without humanoid blood by feeding on animals during the night. There are actually two scenes when we get to witness him hunting in the night, letting us know that it is a habit and a need of his. So story-wise it is not downplayed in the slightest.
About SH's armor mechanically. It gets replaced almost instantly with the first Scale Mail you find. Why have cool custom armor if it's inferior mechanically?
I've noticed you put some emphasis on childishness/adultness and realism in your post, so lets look at this from the realistic standpoint. In the real world, there was no universal chainmail design present, there were more ceremonial variants and more practical. So think of it as just a cool design. From the gameplay standpoint it would be logical to make a starting armor not very powerful, thus I support the beforementioned idea of replacing her chainmail with a generic one.
Their "secrets" are far too obvious. I don't understand why folks over at Larian don't care, because this is cringe.
There is at least some degree of cringe to it, agreed. There is a possibility that these would be the surprise changes they've prepared for release. I wouldn't mind them at all tbh.
Edit: by the way, isn't it a realistic thing that vampire that is accustomed to eating rats and small animals feels happy about drinking some good ol tasty human blood?
