That was due to in-game connection speed or server overload. The animations are usually more fluid and motion filled.

They have been used as singles, but only for short range reconnaissance. The famous Otto Carius has written his book, "Tigers in the Mud". That on one patrol on the Lenigrad front. He went on a reconnaissance with his Tiger, and was met with 10 T-34's that got as close as 60m. He accounts that his driver got so nervous he turned on the engine without Otto's orders to and wanted to ram them. They didn't as the gunner was able to let of a shot and blew up the leading tank and the rest retreated with only two ever actually escaping unscathed.

The first models of the T34/85 variant did not enter production until 01/1944, and the ASU 85 is a post war airborne assault gun (entered production in 1959). The Tiger 1 entered service in 1942. So you are are way, way off the mark there. Using individual and sections of tanks in the recce role is something the Germans did back in WW2, as it is something they still have a doctrine for: "heavy reconnaissance". They employ(ed) this in istances when the scout/recce element was likely to encounter heavy armored opposition, as was often the case.

T34 85 was a late war tank.