Hi.

I used to play a lot of Travis/finger picking.

Question 2:. You'll probably find it better to stick with fingers 2 & 3 unless you're really comfortable with using 1&2. It's not crucial, though, just awkward in some situations; you also run the risk of failure to develop your 3rd picking finger.

3. This can restrict movement in your 3rd finger because of how the tendons work. It can also restrict speed. Some fast pickers do this (but there are also players who hang their guitars down to their knees with a bend in their wrist that would give most people severe pains after 5 minutes), so there are exceptions to the 'norm'. Could also lead to long-term damage to your hands - not an issue if you only pick with fingers 1 & 2, though