For animation id really go with (in order of preferance) Maya, XSI then MAX. I say this because Maya has some supreme scripting built in, what i couldnt animate i could atleast have a good wack at with a few script ideas. But Im totaly in agreemant with the artist makes the tool work no matter, just in Maya you got a few…
Go for Max or Maya, I'd say. Maybe other software is better, but that'll only make the eventual switch more of a pain. I had the hardest time trying to learn Maya, where I had to download a ton of scripts, found out that it's incompatible with pretty much every other version of the software, and was looking at an error…
ach bollox, bringing ideas and workflows from one to the other makes up for the holes in their upbringing, if something was alot easier for you in the other package, then tell someone who doesnt have that issue and figure out a script or a work around/new workflow. dont sit their getting frustarted because your workmates…