This is a FAQ post for Irrlicht nooblets, based on the questions I had when I first started working with irrlicht.
Q: Will irrlicht be able to make a game with quality rigged meshes and their animations?
A: Yes, Irrlicht will import meshes that are rigged in many formats.3DS (soon with animation), X, MD2, and more.
Q: It seems irrlicht has trouble loading in meshes and animations directly from other programs like 3D studio Max or Maya. What should I do?
A: True irrlicht does have some problems, but it should be able to get you what you need. X is the most widely supported format that irrlicht has, and supports animations (bone animations and keys [not character bipeds]).
Q: Will Irrlicht work with Character Studio?
A: Yes it will. If you export you files with the FBX exporter 1st, reset your project, import the FBX file, then export to desired format (preferably X), then irrlicht will be able to use the files.
If you want to learn about other issues people are having with irrlicht be on the forums regularly. Look back into older post too, sometimes you can find a gem hidden in the rough.