Difficulty Ratings
If you look at the output of minfo (or mstatus for a specific mission) you'll see a bunch of starred difficulty ratings.
Combat challenge rating is how much fighting you can expect in this mission.
* : Minimal. Maybe one or two weak enemies who should be no threat
** : Some. A few minor opponents, or perhaps one more challenging one.
*** : A reasonable amount. You should not attempt this one without being prepared.
**** : A serious fight; not to be tried if you are underequipped or poorly skilled.
***** : Very challenging: you'll need to be ready to flee and bring lots of medical equipment with you.
****** : Totally unfair. The odds of you fighting your way through this one are minimal.
Puzzle complexity rating is a guage for the amount of thought the mission is likely to take to complete.
* : Easy. You should have no problems.
** : You may have to pause for thought, but not for long.
*** : You shouldn't have too much difficulty, but don't expect this to be simple.
**** : Challenging; you're going to need to think hard about some of these.
***** : Extremely hard. Good luck. You'll need it.
Exploration covers both the amount of ground you have to cover, and how thoroughly you might have to search it... loosely speaking, this covers the time it would take to do the mission if you didn't have any problems with puzzles or combat.
* : Minimal. Maybe you'll need to wander into the next village or level of the station.
** : Minor You might have to go to a different planet.
*** : Some. You'll probably have to explore the wilderness a little.
**** : Lots. Maybe your mission spans a couple of planets or several stations or towns.
***** : Vast amounts. You'll need to know your way around many of the Cryosphere's worlds and wildernesses.
A zero combat difficulty rating is no guarantee of safety! There are still plenty of opportunities to kill yourself through stupidity or carelessness. A zero exploration rating is generally reserved for missions that take place only in a single room, or within a simulation. There are no missions with a zero complexity rating, because what would be the point?
