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ABSTRACT
The emergence of Role-Playing Games or RPGs in the market, be it online or at home, have provided mankind a chance to experience things that can never be done in reality. Tabletop, live action and electronic formats of RPGs have transformed normal human beings into characters of their dreams: pilot, knight, soldier, tycoon, and so forth. But with the advent of technology developments, RPGs have taken a new toll: online terrorism. Terrorist are looking for new ways to plan for attacks, training, developing counter-strategies and to dispel any efforts by anti-terrorist agencies worldwide. This paper will look at the role of RPGs and the birth of new-age terrorism, through psychology aspects and analyze the connection to further provide scenarios of probable incidents, for anti-terrorist agencies to respond accordingly.
Keywords: role-playing games, massive multiplayer online role-playing game, terrorism, digital warfare, law enforcement, cyber terrorism, virtual reality, cyber planning
INTRODUCTION
Terrorism has been described variously as both a tactic and strategy; a crime and a holy duty; a justified reaction to oppression and an inexcusable abomination. Obviously, a lot depends on whose point of view is being represented. Terrorism has often been an effective tactic for the weaker side in a conflict. As an asymmetric form of conflict, it confers coercive power with many of the advantages of military force at a fraction of the cost. Due to the secretive nature and small size of terrorist organizations, they often offer opponents no clear organization to defend against or to deter.
In this new-age of technological advancement, terrorist are finding new ways to plan their next attack, modes of attack, possible scenarios and environments of outcomes and much more. With the help of role-playing games (RPG), their efforts can be materialized, in a much more detailed, carefully planned and controlled environment, where "practice makes perfect" comes in handy. An RPG will make planning and executing such strategies comes into effect; possible end-game scenarios can be predicted and computed to their needs and requirements. This is where terrorists and would-be terrorists assume the roles of their digital characters and collaboratively create possible scenarios. They will determine the actions of their characters based on their characterization and the actions succeed or fail according to a system of...