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In X4, the space game[1], they simulate the entire "universe" in the background. That includes ships flying around trading, fighting, stations running short of supplies etc etc. To have this work on a modest computer, they have multiple fidelity levels, which primarily affects observable stuff. So near the player, all details of flight, collisions, projectiles etc are simulated. Further away certain collision checks are skipped and such. Really far away, the simulation runs at a much reduced rate, flight simulation is significantly simplified, statistical methods are used for calculating weapon damage and such. This does have the issue of discrepancies between levels. In the lowest fidelity mode, fleet A might consistently beat fleet B, while at the highest fidelity level it can be the opposite. That said it's quite fun in the sense that playthroughs are seldom the same, and it allows for the player to make significant impact by simply helping one faction produce more goods that allows them to build more ships etc. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X4:_Foundations |