The best answer I can give, is that you use what ever software you feel most comfortable with.
Maya is used widely for animation, and If you already know how to use it, isn't it a little silly to...

Thanks for your help with this!

I'm using the displaceD plugin so I can elevate the terrain, see it in the view port and keep it at quads rather then having to triangulate it. Are you creating the displacement through the mentalray...

Sent you email with link to downlaod :) thanks

I have a poly plane that I am dispacing using a 16bit tiff, but it leaves me with what I can only describe as banding accross the terrain. I have displaced in both blender and houdini also and it...

Without having watched the tutorial, my guess would be you need to use the Mia Photographic for the beauty, diffuse, spec, reflection, shadow etc.. but not for AO or Depth and other such passes as...

You mind sending the link to the comp...?
Good luck!

is it possible to follow along with maya2012 or do I need 2014?

To be honest I am unsure. I didn't design the character, I just offered to create him in 3D for a friend who is putting together a 2D top down side scrolling beat em up (similar to streets of rage)....

Now with bump and specular!