Model-configuration choices in large-scale environmental simulation are planning decisions: they determine how computational resources are allocated, which physical processes are resolved, and whether outputs are credible enough for downstream risk interpretation. This paper develops a planning-oriented synthesis of published evidence for Severe Tropical Cyclone Hina (Southwest Pacific, March 1985), using the Conformal Cubic Atmospheric Model (CCAM) in both quasi-uniform and variable-resolution configurations as the empirical basis. Drawing on the original experimental design, we compare seven reported simulations spanning 50 km, 25 km, and 12.5 km grids, including a larger-domain 12.5 km stretched-grid experiment. The analysis shows that horizontal resolution is the strongest configuration lever among the tested options. The 50 km configuration behaves similarly to ERA5 and substantially under-resolves storm intensity, whereas 25 km improves the intensification phase but remains too weak at peak. The 12.5 km experiments most closely capture the observed intensity envelope and yield a more credible inner-core structure, including a radius of maximum wind near 30 km, stronger tangential and radial circulation, higher rainfall, and greater surface heat flux near the storm centre. Variable-resolution grids retain the main benefits of uniform high resolution while offering a more practical design pathway for regional applications. The paper’s contribution is a decision framework that translates these published physical diagnostics into configuration guidance for simulation-based hazard studies.