Someone asking questions about Bryce will probably not spend $4000+ on max, and have a whole battery of puters to set up a render farm. It is not a question which 3Dapp is best as that question is easy to answer: the best is the one you have mastered. This said: For Plat members, Bryce is $42. Otherwise, it's some$70 or so if I remember well. I am not bying it myself because there is no good output to the next class of 3D apps (yes: Max is part of that, as are Lightwave, Maya, XSI, Realsoft, Cinema4D,... and several more). Also, to import Poser stuff in Bryce, you are forced to use Daz Studio. Much great work has been done in Bryce, but I think that the battery of Wings3D (free modeller), Terragen (free terrain generator), Poser (I'd hoose for 5), evt Vue and then PSP or the Gimp is hard to beat if you don't want to spend a lot of money.

I have tried prudent planning long enough. From now I'll be mad. (Rumi)