» Sat May 28, 2011 4:27 pm
Read this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_armour#Composition
An extract:
"While it looks heavy, a full plate armour set could be as light as only 20 kg (45 pounds) if well made of tempered steel.[2] This is less than the weight of modern combat gear of an infantry soldier (usually 25 to 35 kg), and the weight is more evenly distributed. The weight was so well spread over the body that a fit man could run, or jump into his saddle. It is possible for a fit and trained man in armour to run after and catch an unarmoured archer, as witnessed in re-enactment combat. The notion that it was necessary to lift a fully armed knight onto his horse with the help of pulleys is a myth originating in Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court."
While this ("The weight was so well spread over the body that a fit man could run, or jump into his saddle.") is true, the article refers to "a fit man could", meaning might want to, in the sense that a fit man now could carry a heavy weight for a while.
So no, I don't think you should be able to swim, as you require a lot of mobility and explosive strength, and yes, running and jumping should come with a fatigue loss (but not a huge one), and no, doing flips requires a lot of space, explosive power and mobility (two of the things you don't have), and yes, it should burden a master level player. Sure, you'll grow used to it, but you'll never be able to do the things with armour as without armour.