Okay, I do have some experience with this. You may want to have one character -bones - everything perfect in a default pose. From this model you save it - put it away, make a copy. With the copy, pose and save all the other copies you want and save as .car files - no lights, no extras at all. Then in your final scene you can import the .car files of each posed figures - no problem. I've done it with great results. The boned figures will need to be renamed but they come in grouped and your can move them around - already posed the way you left them - and you can change the scale without messing with the bones. Open the group to adjust the poses.

Never Give Up!