For great 3D modeling you may need Maya (expensive). I used Bentley Microstation for my sierra logo in combination with some graphics tricks. It is hard to hold one frame to another in the same place without special software for a smooth animation. I own Microsoft C++ 6.0 but I am not an Object Oriented programmer. Dynamicdrive.com has some great Javascript code but no help in game programming. That would allow someone to program in… Notepad with the .html extension. Many people have this program.
To make a long story short, the fancy programs may make the task easier if you know how to use them.
