Hello everyone!
I am building a video game(war-themed 3rd person shooter) and I want to design my main character. Which programs do I need to use?
Tools.
There are many 3d modeling tools. Here are some of the best:
- Blender (free)
Blenders GUI (interface) is rather confusing and hard to learn. Although, there are thousands of tutorials on YouTube that can make you a pro. Here is a render from it: 
- Autodesk Maya ($4000)
Autodesk Maya is used for more pro people. It can model, animate, and export into virtually anything. It has been used for MANY things including the movies Avatar and GI Joe Rise of the Cobra. It has also been used in many professional games. In my opinion, it is easier to learn other vs 3ds max. Here is a render from it:
- Autodesk 3ds Max ($4000)
Although it is hard to learn, this tool has many features that make modeling easy. It has been used in many movies including 2012, Avatar (yes, they also used Maya), Black Hawk Down, and Alice in Wonderland (click here to see more). Here is a render from it:
Of course, the autodesk have non-commercial student licenses that are VERY cheap. I recommend Maya.
Modeling.
The way I got about this is writing down facts. Then, I try to draw my model on some paper. I then scan the paper, import into Maya, and start modeling after it. If you suck at drawing, you could hire a guy to do it. Or, look here for some stuff. You may also want to make some addons for your game. Such as suits, weapons, and attachments.
~CreativeCoding
This Looks like a great youtube series on how to do it that includes everything, inclucding the modeling of the player and weapon. =P http://www.youtube.com/user/metalx1000#p/search When you get to this link, the go to the search bar on the right, and search in "3rd person" That's really all you have to do to find part 1. I hope he's pretty good!!! Sorry if he isn't =[ I looked him up just for answering your question....so....thanks
You could read this other Question that asks How do I make a 3rd person Shooter.
Then you can work on learning Unity and Scripting (yes, scripting is required) at How can I start learning Unity fast?.
Use modeling tools like Blender its free for use or you can buy Cheetah 3D its a $100 and its easy to use