Game is not dead at all. For me AoP still #1 among other servers because you can launch your game client and start scavenging anytime you want. For me server gonna be alive as long as it's in fact online.
With few players online (as it is) serv reminds me single-player of "S.T.A.L.K.E.R.", but with 2-D graphic and in freeplay mode. And "scrouger" perk happened to be part of this post-nuclear spirit, that's why I hope it will be fixed one way or another