Yes for having myself write programms long time ago (no games) I know how difficult, long and sometimes frustrating (when it doesnt work) this work can be and it most even be worse when its not your own programm and you musst figure out how its works !!!
But its like you said a hobby made by people who are fascinated by their job and they earn the reward of their work by seeing people enjoying the game.
Its amazing when I recall what the original game was in 1997 and what it becomes now

Its almost a brand new game little to do with what was sold by SSI a decade before. The most incredible features was the airdrop capacity allowing you tho conduct airborn operation and recon by spotters also. The map size was another thing that impressed me very much and the revers capability for vehicle was something I really missed in the original games.
The bailout option for crews was also a great improvement like the tranches too. But beside the fonctionnal improvement esthetic enhancement was also made by redrawn and repaint icons units to make them more appealing so the corpses idea is not so excessive or irrelevant. The list of improvement is indeed very long and I fully appreciates what have be done this 7 seven last years (maybe more) for this game wich in my opinion is the best tactical squad level game created since "brigade commander" (the ancestor of spmbt). Lets hope that after a another decade we will all be here to still play this awesome great game with or without corpses
Cheers
Vincent