There are free games with larger and more frequent patch content

[NaoSen]

Subs: 132 Euro per year
Cash Store: Yes
Second most popular MMORPG

I think it's fair for a person to want the game to be a "All time game" especially since "We want you to play other games" / "It's ok to unsubscribe and come back later" only really applies if you dont mind your house being demolished and / or leaving behind friends made along the way.

Yes there are server costs but even if they were half your monthly sub, that's still a lot of money being put out.

Edit: The only thing that explains this to me is Square Enix not giving the Final Fantasy 14 team enough resources, being happy with the current model of income and seeing no need to upset the cart potentially by changing anything, they know full well there is no alternative.