>>Can someone explain why the shop hours work the way they do, based on RL time and not game time?

Because people actually understand RL time and almost no one understands DR game time. Also they do sprinkle in the elanthian time nomenclature occasionally, like when you ask the guard to lead you to a store that is closed, it will say X anlas until the shop opens

>>Why even have shop hours anyway for Trader owned stores? Aren't the normal shops open all the time?

Trader shops are open 1 hour per day for every 10 circles (plus any time that the Trader personally stands in the shop and tends it). This is one of the main methods chosen for making the Trader's skills matter, which is difficult to do with a system that doesn't even require the Trader to be present (the other way circle matters is in the number of surfaces you get to put items for sale on)

Apu
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Respect. Integrity. World Domination.
https://sites.google.com/site/apucorpdr/