Spying out locations is an important part of rss farming and pvp and whilst the fundamental method of sending Silent Ones towards your target doesn't change there are a number of variations that you can use to improve your chances of success and to confuse or confound your enemies.
Farming: This is going to form the majority of your spying work and will quickly become the largest portion of your in-game time expenditure. Always spy out your farms before you send a raid, you never know if it has been farmed recently or if reinforcements have been sent there for some other purpose.
Settlements: Usually a good idea to send one or two to any settlements you might be wanting to capture. Although be aware that the resource cost of losing a Silent One adds to the time needed to recoup any losses you might incur owning a settlement. This is also why it's a good idea to have your settlements defended by Silent Ones, the loss of a spy is often a good deterrent.
