best way to scout...
drag select whole screen or hit scout hotkey
check in your front, if you have a good 2nd city spot (mt + timber) then go to corners, if not, go to front, find a good spot, then corners.
If rush or early raid, scout out enemy next. If not, explore your own territory a bit, then enemy. After enemy, go in circles areound the enemy territory.
never auto scout, it take 2 sec while sci1 researches to manual scout.
If you need to looka t something, just redirect him, the last poster explained how.
TO manipulate ruins, to get food, jsut cue like 5 citizens, get food ruin, then cancel them