Penals have high dps because of their more specialized role, tier requirement, high initial cost and their lack of AI weapon upgrades which also prevents them from having crazy DPS by concentrating firepower in a single model like LMGs. The AT satchel is more of an emergency weapon unless you're attacking heavies while the PTRS is a PTRS; meant as a soft counter/deterrent. They lack the proper snares of other front-line units who are cheaper and arrive sooner, cannot build anything such as cover, or the ability to sprint/rush out of HMG arcs. The majority of the time when they are built, they have one role, kill the other side's infantry and serve as premium AI units for a faction that has only one other line infantry unit non-doctrinally that also serves a different purpose.
The units is hardly specialized (can fight most enemy units at any range). Its tier cost is very low (see PG/Obers). Initial cost is not that high (see PG/Obers) and neither is reinforcement cost (see also "merge"). The lack of AI weapon does not mean much since other units luck such upgrade like PGs or have expensive ones that do not make them that do not give them so much "area" in DPS curve (see stormtroopers, actually Penal would work allot better if they started with less punch and had a weapon upgrade (not an lmg in 6 men squad).
Penal are unit using WFA designed in an EFA faction. Unit has too much firepower for the time frame it appears and is too flexible. It can fight long range unit at long range and mid close units at mid to close ranges.
Yes, they are very good at their role, but they have no grenades unless it's garrison-busting which is a double edge sword as you likely can't use the garrison afterwards, give up map control via building and cost which you must use brute force to take back, and early Penals means no T2 support until later as you really need to build from that tier to make the most of it early game.
Well again it the WFA armies that need to be toned to EFA level and the EFA that need WFA units. Soviet have by design lots doctrinal option if one want to buff stock units one should limit doctrinal availability.
Even if Conscripts got their buffs and changes, Penals are still going to be more about damage dealing and killing stuff, though Cons might be more reliable rather than being RNG cannons with their 16 damage but crap accuracy.
As long as Penals remain still strong they will compete with doctrinal Soviet call-in units and either Penal or Doctrinal elite units will see little action.
In order to have diversity each units need to bring something different to table.
I am not trying to be critical here about the decision that have been made, I am simply trying to point out the problems with the current direction.
Again congratulation to the mod team for their hard work.
Relic Entertainment
cblanco ★ 
Heartless Jäger 
