Jakten: Thanks! I stuck an updated version of the fired bolt in the last post. I agree with you - it looks really noisy and undefined. I will revisit that idle animation tonight. I have a couple ideas of specific animations I can do to split up the idle animations...
As of right now, this is just a mock-up. I'll see how much farther I get...that will decide whether or not I try and put an actual game together. As for the main character, I have a confession to make - I don't have a lot of character skills. I may try and put a human character together, but I have some ideas closer to a dude-in-a-suit, which would make the animation a hell of a lot easier for me. But I'm more than willing to try and expand my skills.
Lord Ash: Not sure I understood your post...are you asking for a rundown of all the different 3d programs?
Anyhow, here are 2 more variations on the bolt impact, as well as a mid-air collision version. I stuck the original in there for reference...

Thoughts?

Jakten , LoTeKK: Both excellent suggestions. Here's the re-vamped firing animation...

WM: Good crit - I've attempted to address that here: - much less movement overall.
CrazyMLC: Multiple idle animations is a great idea. I'll get on that after I do the next thing on my list - the spider-bot projectile, and impact animations...
Everything stuck together.

Thoughts?

Ah, Rustbug. Believe me, I was not trying to copy that.
CrazyMLC: I'm gonna leave the shape as is. For reasons already brought up by Ben2theEdge, the more detail I add, the more difficult it will be to read the shape of this think against the background. As it is right now I feel like it's at the bare minimum of readability - any more detail and it'll just be lost. That's my feeling on it, anyhow.

Conexion: Thanks. As for the render colors, that's a combination of an orthographic camera ( one with a viewing angle of effectively 0 degrees) and a Directional light (light with no position in the world, just an incoming angle). I let the advance lighting/radiosity do all the cool bounce lights and color bleeds. Not nearly as tricky as you might imagine.  The shadows are quite blue-purple right now, and I think they're saturated enough. if not, I can always up that at a later date...
CrazyMLC: yeah, ever since I switched 'em over from red they've been sort of lost. Here's an update: along with the inspiration to up the interest in the blue lights was the decision to change the muzzle flash to orange/green. Looks much more Raptor:Call of the shadows-y now...

And I thought I'd give you all a bit more of a look under the hood - here's the spider bot animation at it's original resolution:
And he are two untouched render frames direct from MAX..

And all together now!

Pawige:Yeah, I think I exaggerated the firing movement too much...Here's an update. , and I'm glad you like it - I gotta say, it would be nearly as cool without all the feedback I've been getting - and for that I thank you!
CrazyMLC: Thanks! I dunno if I am gonna change the walk order, but I agree on the guns....re-do:
Tuna Unleashed: Aaah, the wonders of radiosity.
9_6: Yeah, I went ack and looked at the video again, and was kinda surprised how little it resembled what I had come up with...
publicenemy1: Thanks. The space shooter thing is pretty stalled right now - I think it a combo of both I and DKH being distracted by other things...as for you kind offer, I think I shall have to turn you down at this point - I already have far too many projects I'm working on where people are depending on me to deliver assets - I'd hate to add yet another one to the list of disappointments.
Splode:I hope the previous 2 animations meet your expectations. As for slowing it down, I dunno - I've had the experience that whenever I slow animations down to showcase the awesomeness that occurs, it always looks really weird in game...Nevertheless, here are the newest animations at half speed...
And the latest version of the explosion:  and one with a little moar whumpff at the begining.
I'm working on the background buildings right now...

I know about the tree. Already fixed!