So, I made the decision start using DS again because of the IRay render engine. My PC is pretty old and below the recommended specs for that engine, but I am finding ways to work around that. Took a month, but I'm happy with what I have found that works.
I want to take a moment to mention the new dimensions I will be creating in. I will be staying around the 1000x1000 pixel mark for two reasons:
1, my machine renders nicely with those dimensions.
2, many people these days view sites from phones and tablets, making anything over the mentioned dimensions doesn't make sense to me. Pushing my PC to render all night to make a 2500x2500 isn't fun. I do this for fun.