I used to animate in trueSpace, call me Doctor Frankenstein if you want to, lol, LW is superior to it, really. XSI yes it is tempting, now that is that cheap, but really isn't it Messiah or Motion builder where you should look at? Some more to pay though.
Sure you have seen Digiwonks rigging tutorials? IK in arms and hands are still some pain for me and probably I will use FK.
I would be hate to be dissapointed with this software cause much more pain than the bugs is to learn another software, I would probably go claymation, CG is no obsession to me.
Alltogether animation is pain to do, in any media, no creature with even some sanity would do it
