Use anything and everything you can get your hands on. I use primarily MAX. But I don't say it's better or worse than any other program. It's just the program I prefer, and the one I can work most easily and comfortably in and have fun. I also use Poser to create human figures. I have Xfrog, but I rarely use it because it creates such poly heavy meshes. My friend David uses the new version of Cinema 4D and loves it, especially the cloth and hair modules. I also have an immense respect for lightwave. I've never used it, but ROUGHNECKS: STARSHIP TROOPERS CHRONICLES, my favorite CG series of all time was done in Lightwave, and if it can do that quality of work it's good for me. I've tried Maya and absolutely hated it. Couldn't do a thing with it, couldn't understand how it worked. That doesn't mean it's not one of the best out there, just means I'm so used to the way MAX works and so comfortable in it, it's damn near impossible for me to go to a program that's so radically different. I also use Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, CorelDraw, Corel Paint, Corel Photopaint and others. What it comes down to, apart from monetary considerations, is which program you can work most effectively in and are comfortable with. Learning any high end program is a pain in the ass and lots of effort, but once learned, it should be a program you can have fun working in. There should be a 'wow, that's cool' kind of feeling when you accomplish something in the program. That's a factor not many ever talk about, but I think it's important. If it's not fun to do the work, you're not going to wake up in the morning wanting to open it up and play. You might also check out many of the free 3D programs. Try sourceforge.net There are a lot there.

Talent is God's gift to you. Using it is your gift to God.