Just noticed that I could get into all of the shops in Shard despite the fact that it was nighttime - is this intentional? Has it been this way for a while and I just didn't notice since I haven't bothered to try and get into a shop in the evening in years? Anyone else notice this or am I just crazy?

This might have to do with the fact that the heavens seem to be a bit broken and the sun is up during the night. With the heavens out of sync I wouldn't be surprised if it is causing the shops to be open.

I go through Shard and it's shops several times in a real-time day, stealing (or not, if the shop is closed) and I have not noticed anything different or out of whack.

In fact, right now it's nighttime in game, and the shard shops that close nightly are closed.

Sorry, I totally skipped over the " like that." part of the post, that obviously would of told me it had been found and corrected.

I was seriously half asleep reading and posting, so just disregard.

: )

The shard gates and the stores don't close right at sunset or open right at dawn. It actually happens at the half mark (8 minutes, since they are 15 minute segments) towards the next DR anlas (or however you would explain it). I actually sat just inside the west gate of Shard a couple days ago getting all the phases of day/night, and the gate guards actually give two notices if I recall that the gates will be closing soon. Once as it turns to sunset, then about 5 minutes later at the 3 minute warning.

TL;DR:
Day doesn't shift as soon as sunset/dawn hits, but rather 8 minutes into sunset/dawn. Although, this may be wrong since I found out the very next day that time was offset due to crash and the whole night sun thing.

-Master Ndin