[RERomine]

I use both spotter planes and scouts.

You are going to hear scouts, scouts and more scouts on here. There is no substitute for them. In an assault last week, I had scouts slip past the enemy mine field and around infantry positions and bunkers that would have been painful to blunder into with my tanks. I knew where most of the enemy heavy stuff was before my assault force got to there. As for dismounting scouts, I don't mount them in the first place. I just give them a couple turn head start and follow them in. Unless you are running very short battles, they can make from the LD to the objectives (or whatever you want to scout) long before the game ends. I guess I could give them a ride about 10 hexes out to save their legs, but beyond that they walk. I've even dropped them behind enemy lines using transport planes. The transport just angles in from the top or bottom, drops them and just angles back out again. You could have the transports continue across the map after they drop the scouts if you want to try to locate some AAA, but I try to spare the planes and crew.

With spotters, I start checking an area with AAA isn't likely (about halfway across the map) and move them forward each pass, probably about 5 hexes closer to the enemy each time. Have them start their run from the top of the map (or bottom) and angle toward the enemy and then have them angle back toward your side when you are done. It should look something like an arrow pointing at the enemy. The search takes place at the point. You will eventually take fire from AAA, but most of the time the spotter survives this way. One thing to keep in mind with this is the spotting "target" is like calling artillery. The spotter gets around the "target", but isn't likely to be exact. Sometimes they blunder out farther than I wanted and get popped.

If you are looking for general game settings, you can adjust "searching" in preferences. I leave mine alone and just play at 100%. Some hardcore players turn it down. That's an experience. You can be right next to some enemy infantry and not know they are there.

As far as unbuttoning tanks, I think all you can do is reduce their suppression. They take fire, they button up. It's just basic self preservation and I don't think you can force that away in the game.