The only way this game is going to make it through the new year is if the L2Store starts selling actual gear sets, weapons and EPICS (like RIFT does) directly. In this way the middle man (adena seller, botter, RMT'er) can be nullified.
That is the only way that I would ever even consider playing this game again.
Have fun feeding the bots and scripts if you continue to play the way NCWEST has let this game fall.
This way everyone that farms their own items will nulify and destroy the gameplay itself. Everyone will buy armors from l2store and drop the current prices to 1/3, making everything more difficult for everyone that farms for their own items and then resell for a higher-end material.
Farming epics will fade down every day more and more as the easier way to get items will be the way to the bank and the 2 click to buy ncoin. I would buy them myself, then declare the game boring since there will be nothing to farm for.
Lineage II will last through the new year don't worry, they are doing plenty of money as it is and if the population decrease they still can merge a few server together. They could make even more money if they decrease the price a little bit and make more item available to trade between player.