Hey there,
To answer your question I think we need to broaden the topic a little bit. So allow me to get a little off-topic.
3DGS...
3DGS is a pretty userfriendly tool to create games. Above all it comes as a complete package (a "soft" script-language, level-editor and model-editor).In terms of giving your game a unique touch it is way ahead of click-your-game-together-tools (RPG Maker for example). This comes at the prize of using a script language. As you can see for lots of people that is a hurdle the can't overcome.
The competition...
It is also true that there are way more powerful engines out there. And some of them are a lot cheaper too. You can actually buy a licence for two to three year old "huge budget" games for a couple of bucks. I think the AvP engine is 20$ (don't hurt me if I'm mistaken... but one can get them for liitle money).
A comparable product to gamestudio is as you mentioned torque. You might also want to take a look at unity.
Are these engines more powerful? I guess so.
But faaaaaaar more important is...
where am I...
More powerful = more difficult to use / more knowledge required.
RPG Maker is easier than gamestudio. Why? Because it requires less technical knowledge. You can soften the impact on the user with a good manual, a great community that helps you out, a good interface etc... but that really doesn't change the fact that using a more powerful tool requires more knowledge.
Now going back to your post:
ideally I'm looking to get into programming
I don't know how serious you are about programming (there are different levels of programming). But the fastest way of really getting into programming probably is going back to school/college.
That depends on what you want and from where you come from.
Is making games just a hobby for you?
Do you want to generate a side income?
Are you planning on going indie?
What is your target group then?
If you are some MD sitting at EA and think about reducing costs for your next 30 mio. $ title... then 3dgs is unlikely what you are looking for.
You see... it depends.
Most people however don't require a more powerful tool than 3dgs. Seriously, a7 does offer you a lot of bang for your bucks (espacially when you use liteC or xtra and to make your first 10 or so games that is all you need and then some).
Just take a look at the showcase. That is what HAS been done with 3dgs (because when it comes to IT the limit is pretty much your knowledge of the tools you are using... so yes, everything can be done).
So before you worry about super duper graphics you might first want to come up not only with the idea of a game but also with a working script of your game (without nice graphics... but with gameplay).
I mean lets face it. Even if you are an indie. That guy that buys games like UT for its graphics laugh at RPG Maker. But they also laugh at gamestudio, unity, torque, etc... because in comparision it really is not a whole lot. Then again graphics aren't everything (if they were there would not be an indie scene).
That was a lot of text with general thoughts.
If you want to nail it down. Then go to the website's products and take a good look at the features and limitations the offer.
If you'd ask me though...
First make a complete game (a simple, small game with free-to-use graphics that is fun to play and if only for 10 minutes). Then you can go bigger. At this point you might take engine limitations into consideration.
Now don't be offended but since you did not manage to complete a game with a6 I would say it is too early to worry about the engine. And things like documentation, an active & helpfull community, the price for the complete set of tools should be waaaay! more important to you than xy-tree build, feature abc etc.
Still, gamestudio IS a powerful tool.
So long, I wish you the best with whatever tool you go with.
P.S. if the more information you give on yourself and your goals the easier it is to give a specific answer.
