I tried blender once, never did really get into it. It didn't really make sense for me to switch over just for a few features I'd never use (fluid simulation being a fine example). From what I've seen, if you get good at it, blender can be a wonderful tool. Still, I can't see a free project ever outdistancing a commercial product of max's scale. Results are important, but so is ease of use... blender doesn't seem to provide that.
All that being said, I wouldn't be anywhere right now without
anim8or.
It's evolved greatly ever since I used it last (there are finally shadows
) but it was invaluable in building up my skills before I even knew what FIRST or 3ds max was. Hardly a max alternative though
