[LC]Mercury has just over 200 hours now. my retired trader has 125hr
my 2 smugglers and my bank ship total about 135 hours
my 1 combat ship a bomer 35 hr (i dont realy enjoy PVP )
I currently dont spend much time in my traders, but normally im a regular trader. Run about 20h a week in my traders and for that same reason i have 4 of them.
I trade for fun, not for the cash... whenever i see a small trader around which tries too participate in the general RP on the server. Ill ask and find out if they need a hand with anything and normally donate a good starting fee.
Trading is a good way too spend your time and gives you ample of situations where you can get a good RP experience.
"War. War never changes. Since the dawn of human kind, when our ancestors first discovered the killing power of rock and bone, blood has been spilled in the name of everything, from God to justice to simple, psychotic rage."
I rarely trade. I only do it when I need money badly and there is no one else on. I just don't have the time to spend my few hours of gaming time a week on trading. I found a rather nice route recently that gives me a lot of money quite quick, so I've got a decent nest egg.
I only trade now to fund other chars.... BUt i still like the occasional run... I try to incororate as much into it as possible. Like goading the RM into telling me to leave NB Or deliberately getting busted with cardi (not ever again by the RM though... that cost me:() yeh... i don't trade that often and usualy only when i need the cash but i do go out of my way to make it more fun. Just today i traded for about 60mill and it's all gone on new Ros recruits... Easy come, easy go.
I used to trade all the time, back when I didn't have too many characters. Now I only trade when the server is nearly empty or there isn't anything else to do, or when someone I know is online trading, usually about 4 hours a week total. Money isn't a big deal anymore, so I tend to donate a lot if I'm impressed by someone's rp in-game.
It's relaxing when I'm doing legal routes and can be really fun when running away from lawfuls while smuggling (especially in a pirate train). If it gets too boring, I change to a different char or just to a different game.:)