Best Way to Accomplish Gameplay

Hey, So I've prototyped most of my game and am ready to get on with actually making it. NOW: There is one minor (i.e. Major) obstacle. My game is a spaceship game (2d elite) and I want AI ships going about their business, trading, fighting, etc. So how would I go about this for areas that the player is not in?

I'm thinking a galactic view and a sector view. But if these were two layout how could I run them simultaneously? or is there a better way to go about this?

Major thanks for any help.

Yeah you should be able to simulate those ships without actually having them in your layout by using an array, and then just interpret them into the position of a sprite when you go into 'galactic' view.

In my humble opinion, you should fake it.

Use statistics. Estimate. Use a random chance. Step step step. No one will notice and the game will run fast.

Well, faking it would probably be the best way and the one that would require the less power.

But if you have a real too big amount of objects and interactions, maybe you could sacrifice some power and use the layout object, which use is to run another layout in the current layout.

Of course, you set the layout object invisible and/or put it outside the screen so it just runs without anybody knowing it.

When you're leaving the current layout to go in the other layout for real, you manage the game to save the state of the other layout, so it can load it back once you're in it for real.

Of course, if my solution is more complicated than just faking it, forget it...