How has every other major MMO solved the problem of downtime other than FF14?

[Avoidy]

I'll disagree with you just for one thing, the whole "maintenance day = lost day of subscription" goes for other mmo's too, at least for WoW, as I play both games

I don't enjoy or play WoW, and the MMOs I was referring to with timed systems that don't progress while the game's offline weren't WoW. Interestingly, they were actually kind of bad MMOs in other areas, but they still managed to get the whole "you only pay while the game is up" aspect correct.
It's worth remembering that at one point WoW was so bad that its players were actively funneling into XIV and salivating over how good A Realm Reborn was in comparison. Its directors also steal employee breastmilk and treat their players like gum on the bottom of their shoe. So to say "well yeah, that sucks, but WoW does it" is kind of... eh. Yeah, WoW does do that. And that game bled players for years before finally getting it together again. Let's strive for better.

[Stormpeaks]

I don't enjoy or play WoW, and the MMOs I was referring to with timed systems that don't progress while the game's offline weren't WoW. Interestingly, they were actually kind of bad MMOs in other areas, but they still managed to get the whole "you only pay while the game is up" aspect correct.
It's worth remembering that at one point WoW was so bad that its players were actively funneling into XIV and salivating over how good A Realm Reborn was in comparison. Its directors also steal employee breastmilk and treat their players like gum on the bottom of their shoe. So to say "well yeah, but this other game does it" is kind of... eh. Yeah, it does. And that game bled players for years before finally getting it together again. Let's strive for better.

Just to clarify because I dont want it taken the wrong way, I wasnt like trashing your take or telling you "YOU RE WRONG", I was just mentioning that it seems to be the norm in MMO's to count maintenance days as actual "playing days" as if there's no maintenance so the sub just keeps rolling, now for my own opinion I personally dont think it's a good practice, that's for sure lol