Recon Mission: Explore New Maps and Earn Rewards!

thePhilX:  As some of the other players mentioned already, there are multiple reasons for it to be implemented this way. Keeping the mode as close to random battles as possible will help testing a very realistic testing environment - as close to how it would be playing regular random battles on it.This way players don't miss out on progress during their grinds and also do not feel like their games played do not count at all.This hopefully also leads to players behaving in a similar way as they do in regular games (instead of just grinding tokens by being afk in a battle or suiciding into the enemy tanks). 

thePhilX:  Making the mode available for not only tier X vehicles will allow players to join the test even if they do not own tier 9 or 10 tanks. There are some vehicle classes such as Tank Destroyers and Light Tanks in which people even prefer being lower tier from time to time, you might get more assistance damage in your tier VIII LT, when a tier X vehicle shots at your spots and most tier VIII and IX TDs have already tier X guns, which can easily penetrate higher tier vehicles. (+ you get more experience for fighting against higher tier tanks).  

thePhilX:  I don't think the rewards are bad at all, especially considering the fact, that you are effectively playing random battles on new maps, while earning the same amounts of credits and experience as you would do outside of the mode.Considering that you don't only get personal reserves, directives and a unique camo, but also multiple days of premium time included, plus a unique medal for every stage, I don't really see a reason to complain.It is an opportunity for you to test things before they potentially get implemented into the game, the biggest reward in my eyes is the chance of directly contributing towards what is going to happen with those maps.