@ Mios 4Me:
1. The game rolls the dice for the weather, and the only thing that alters an airplane response is the AirStrike.cfg file. The distance you are away from an AirBase affects the length of time it takes for the response to get to your area, if your presence is detected. If you are seen at a particular location, and you stay there, if it takes 30 minutes for an airplane to travel there from the nearest base, that is generally how long it will take for you to "see" them on radar. Influencing that would be the weather. If the weather is rough, then it might be like a ship that the plane would not make it there. Also, there is some "slack" in the "aiming" of the response. One plane might be right on your location, while 3 will be off, with 2 far north, and one south of where you are, let's say. You will have more airplane activity if your radar is constantly "active", in that it is an easy target to home-in on. They will also Hf-df you if you do the radio, and if you are seen - heaven forbid - they will be on you like shtink. There are also "routine" patrols done from airbases, generally based upon the Type=304 plane, but the bombers also "patrol", such as the Betty, as well as other planes, based upon their "range" from the base.
2. Most of the reports are "Group" based, generated in the header of the group description in the containing mis file, whether a scripted or random group. The "report" then takes the lead vessel of the group, and uses that as its "base" description of either Convoy (merchant) or Task Force (warship), with either "Single", "Small", "Medium" or "Large" as part of the description. I do not remember what the numbers are for the settings, but it's like, one (single), 2 (small), 4 (medium) and 6 (large) - but I am probably wrong with those numbers...
- we have changed them more than once... A Convoy can consist of mostly warships, and a Task Force can consist of mostly merchants. It all depends upon the Leader ship.
3. The number of escorts with a ship or group of ships has no bearing upon its "value". Loaded or empty, it is also the same. Eliminating its carrying capacity is the actual "target", not its cargo. All the cargo does is allow for more spectacular explosions... Now, there are a few built missions where a specific ship is "scheduled" to leave a port, and you might receive a Status Report assignment to chase-down one of those. You still get the normal renown for the ship sinking, if successful, but you would also get the Objective Completed renown reward, so there is that "modifier", if you will...
4. The issue of ships "standing still" was not known until about v1.24, and at that, we have not been able to replicate the situation. Since then, v1.26p ("p" for "Patch") has come out. That has slight changes to the campaign mis files, but more for conformity with other mod changes than anything. These last few "updates", though assumed to be reverse-compatible, might not be such, and might contribute to what happens. The AI is what the AI is, and when the "Leader" vessel takes off, any vessels not able to keep up, seem to "loose their bearings", shall we say. Such that a vessel able to do 14 knots is leading, and when your submarine is detected, it changes course and speed. The Split Merchant is able to do 9.5 knots, and is soon without a "leader" vessel and therefore "rudderless" and doesn't know what to do. But again, we don't know if that is what is happening. The Split Merchant will usually eventually recover and resume course, and the lead vessel may eventually also either come back, or resume its original set course... maybe