PJZ99...no offence intended, but  3ds Max has all the tools to create amazing character design and animation (as you know)...but it needs much time and effort...after all, there are university degrees designed to make Max more approachable and like any "pro" app it takes years of dedication.

Now, there are a couple of ways you can view this depending on what your ambition is for the future. If you want to be a professional character animator then you will have to dive in to XSI, Max or Maya...there is virtually no requirement for Poser skills in the pro studio field. If a project did come about for a studio to use Poser they would just use one of there own artists because it is so easy to learn or contract a freelancer just for that project.
Then you have the freelance user...well Poser is handy and there are many successful freelance Poser artists about, but I'm sure most of them wouldn't be successful without solid experience in a 3d modelling app and 2d tool such as Painter or PS.
Finally you have the hobbyist...and they will use what ever they can afford and feel comfortable with and make great art with it.

If you really want the best of both worlds then look into the Cinema 4D XL or Studio bundles...you have a full featured modelling and animation application to grow into and it plays nice with Poser as well.

Cheers

 

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