Agreed Sly, this is reflected in scernarios, during the set up, surveying the terrain and likely approach/position of the nme, allows you to use the terrain to the best advantage. Your second point regarding what the nme has in terms of force make up, is also represented by the briefing (which can make or break a scernario, hence why I only use certain authors' work). A good scernario will reflect realistically/historically what info about the nme force (if any) is available, and all improtantly will have clearly defined objectives.
It's a good subject for a thread and shows the two options with their merits and challenges. Indeed I'm tempted to try QBs more in PBEM, especially if porting over a good map.