Some question before I get unity

Target Platforms Mobile
1

  1. Can unity make a game with a 2d background with 3d characters ( at least they look 3d)

  2. Once I have unity will I need other software to make graphics and music like will it be a good idea to buy 3ds max as well?

2

Yes.

Yes, you need other software to make the assets. Which software depends on your needs and preferences.

3

If I wanted to make a game with 2d background and 3d characters, can I do that without buying any add-on’s for unity?

4

Unless your characters are simple shapes (cube, sphere, plane, etc) then you will need a real 3d package to model and animate them. However, there are free alternatives to 3ds max and maya that should work fine. If you look at the page about file types they support here, you will see they support many standard formats.

I would look around for free modeling packages before spending the $$ on max. It doesn’t run on Mac unless you’re running in parallels anyway.

EDIT: I’ve never used this tool, but if you have a windows box anyway you can try the XSI Mod Tool from Autodesk for free too. It is here