There were at least 15 times the buttoned Sherman spotted the un-buttoned Panther first which adds to the mystery of the game engine's spotting logic. In one case the Sherman bounced 5 rounds off the Panther before the Panther spotted the Sherman. My all-time least favorite experience was a game in which my stationary, un-buttoned Pz IV behind a hedgerow was spotted first by a Sherman that was moving across the open field the Pz IV was covering. Sherman stopped, aimed, fired and knocked out the Pz IV without being spotted. I nearly renounced the game once and for all over that one.
I'm actually halfway thinking the German tanks have spotting problems. I've seen similar things so many times with PZIVs and Panthers.
Wondering what the results would be if we tested only the spotting times. Two tanks facing each other, both buttoned. And then see how many times each of them spots the other first.