Well, generally if you want critiques you should post in the WIPs board. Your model looks fairly optimized for the amount of detail you're wanting, but while I can't tell what's going on completely just from that wireframe shot, you may be able to optimize more around the smaller curved areas where the details get smaller. But really, these days it's more about optimizing textures based on smart uvmapping and texturing, not polygons, since textures eat more memory and modern cards can handle triangle rendering much better than before. So I don't think you should worry about optimizing the mesh any further than you've already done.
To answer your other question, no Anim8or does not have smoothing groups. But we do have edge creasing which is the same thing except that it can't get exported, so you'd have to use something like milkshape3d to set smoothing groups before putting it in your game/mod. To give an edge a crease, either double click an edge or select multiple edges and go to Edit->Edge Properties..., and then set the radio button to Creased. Do this for two or more edges and you'll start seeing the differences. So basically select the boundary of edges for the group of polygons you want to apply it to and then set those edges to creased.
There's also smooth angles, where creases occur if the angle between two faces reach a certain amount (double click the mesh to set the amount).
[edit]...spelling fix...it's two not to!...yes it bugged me that much
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Topic: Smoothing groups! (And other questions) (Read 5314 times)