Yes, I am aware of the fact that svt cons perform well. IMO this is one of the salient features of this commander. Infantry focused. Hence we get 3 dp on air guards and no button ability or anything sort of anti-tank. we get an AT strafe which is quite good when it connects. the thing is volks have stg as a non-doctrinal upgrade. SVT drop is a doctrinal upgrade which exists in only one commander if we exclude dropping svt for our allies. Further, this commander is quite muni starved in the early game. I do 4 v 4 with soviets a lot and lately, I am using this doctrine when I get angry after okw player decides to bum rush with infantry. then I am like. u think u can blob? I will blob bigger. lol. jk
TL; DR SVT drop is a doctrinal ability. it should have some benefit/incentive over regular non-doc ability. also, volks get tech for free. conscripts have to purchase that for fuel and mp. I have no issue with timer increase to delay the early game mass svts.
as for penals I don't quite use them with ppsh because I don't wanna waste fuel on t1 when I know I need to get a zis gun eventually. ppsh penals die and are 30 mp to reinforce. better make air guards with free ppsh.
I don't think that a cheaper squad, with cheaper upgrade, should dominate from vet 0 to vet 3 at all ranges.
To give you an idea, i tested around 6 times per case, vet 0 vs vet 0 and vet 3 vs vet 5 (vet 3 would had been the same) at 0-10-20-30 range in green cover (to reduce RNG and make them all aligned at same range). They only had a 50/50 result at vet 0 at point blank/10 range and like 2/10 at vet 3 at 0 range. Cons never lost in any other result.
If the upgrade is worth, it should be priced at a reasonable level. Even at 60 muni, it wouldn't remove the fact that they would still dominate Volks while been cheaper.
Which is why i suggest a different approach in the nerf. Instead of having an early/middle power spike by been able to upgrade several units in a short time frame, the drop could take longer to cooldown.