Does it have to punish? At some scale yes maybe. But if the state tried to automate many of the essentials, it might be able to provide basics (food shelter sanitation) at extremely low marginal cost.

Ideally the planned state leaves room for art and culture. Who how and where the state supports creative endeavors is an open question. I'd ask similarly for open source. Ideally the state provides some spare capacity for individual development, that people can establish themselves with & start getting rewarded for.

Overall I see such a starkly different view. Coersion into behaviors & punishment seems low on my list of concerns for non-authoritarian communism.