please help!

[Sky_Shark]

what do the stars (***) behind a mission type mean?  ???

There are 4 ways to end a mission. Land, crash land, bail out and go for debriefing instantly.
Does it make a diference to actually land your aircraft instead of jumping to debriefing once finishing all your goals? In CFS 1 it made a diference, that's why I'm asking...  ???

[Sock]

I'm not sure but I think if there are more *s by the mission it's more important.  Could be wrong though.  And on ending a mission, I think it only matters that you reach all your waypoints.  I jumped right to debrief for at least 30 of my first missions.  I nursed one crippled jug back to base before the engine quit and I had to bail.  Still was a completed missions.  On several missions my landing gear has been shot up and I've had to crash land.  Still counted as a completed mission, because I detroyed all the targets and reached all waypoints.  I didn't like that if you bailed out or crashed landed into your home base, in CFS1, you failed the mission.

[Sky_Shark]

Yes, it doesn't matter if you land, crash land or bail out or go for debriefing once you've completed all your goals in order to complete the mission. Still there might be a diference in the Prestige Points awarded. Or else.. why would we try to land without our landing gear and risk death when we could just end the mission...
I know for shure that in CFS1 it was impossible to win the top medals without landing the aircraft yourself.

And about the ***, yes I also think that.. Still , in 'Help' they say nothing afects more the enemy than bombing factories. But factory bombing are rarely *** missions, normaly it's a * mission. My theory was that the *** meant the short term impact on the war theather. When there is a ground invasion ocurring you get dozens of *** missions in the invasion sector, all about bombing tanks, bunkers, ammo depots etc..

[Sock]

I think you are more right about the *s now that I think about it.