Reputation

You can gain or lose favor, otherwise known as reputation, with many of the several different factions in Azeroth. Higher reputation gives access to special rewards or new quests to accomplish.

Reputation levels and points
Reputation is very similar to experience. Reputation is divided into a number of different levels for which players must earn reputation points to progress through. Higher reputation levels generally require more points than the previous level to progress. The exception is, which spans a very large number of reputation points. Reputation points, just like experience points, are gained through quests and killing various mobs. Unlike experience, it is possible to lose reputation points with some factions, either by killing members of the faction or by assisting rival factions. For rival factions, gaining reputation with one will normally decrease reputation with the other, but at a greater rate. For instance, if you kill a Booty Bay Bruiser, you will gain 25 points of reputation with the Bloodsail Buccaneers, but lose 125 reputation with Booty Bay. Currently there are 2 of these rival-faction pairs: Steamwheedle Cartel (Goblins) vs. Bloodsail Buccaneers (pirates) and Ravenholdt (rogues) vs. Syndicate (Thugs).

Various quests and faction-specific rewards are available across the levels, but the player must be able to interact with the faction NPCs to gain access to these rewards. An NPC's faction is shown under their name. This usually requires or better standing.


 * ''NOTE: All NPCs with whom you have Friendly or higher reputation will appear in game.

Hated
This is the lowest Reputation Level possible. This is the level below. Any player who comes close to anyone of this faction will be attacked on sight.

Players start off at Hated with the Brood of Nozdormu, Bloodsail Buccaneers and Syndicate factions, having 0/36000 reputation with these factions, the lowest reputation possible in the game.

Horde players have a Hated reputation with Alliance factions and vice-versa.

Hostile
The reputation level is just below  and above. This level spans 3000 reputation points. NPCs belonging to factions with which a player is Hostile will themselves act hostile towards that player.

Unfriendly
The reputation level just below and above.

Unfriendly NPCs will not interact, talk, buy, sell or trade with you. When you click on unfriendly mobs or NPCs, their name and highlight will be orange. Unfriendly creatures will not generally attack unless attacked. Opening a chest or healing other players who are in combat may provoke nearby unfriendly NPCs to attack.

Neutral
The reputation level points below and above.

When you click on Neutral NPCs, their name and highlight will be yellow. Neutral NPCs will not attack you unless attacked first. Reputation with the Steamwheedle Cartel starts at Neutral, so most goblin NPCs encountered outside Horde territory are neutral to most newer players.

Friendly
The reputation level points below and above.

When you click on friendly NPCs, their name and highlight will be green. You cannot attack creatures who you are friendly with (or have a higher level of reputation with) unless you specifically toggle "At War" on the item for said creatures' faction in the reputation pane.

Honored
The reputation level below and above.

With this reputation level, you will get a 10% discount on items.

Revered
The reputation level below and above.

Exalted
Exalted is the highest reputation level.

With this reputation level and additional restrictions (see Purchasing other mounts), you can purchase and train to ride mounts of another race. Certain factions sell tabards for players who become exalted.

Gaining reputation with a Faction City you are already exalted with will cause 25% of the reputation to "bleed over" to your next-highest city reputation. This does not happen when you gain reputation with all cities at once (ie, "Horde +250")- in this case, the reputation that would go to already-exalted cities is simply lost.

Reputation sheet
You can check your reputation with all factions by pressing the "u" hotkey or by going to the Character window ("c" hotkey) and clicking on the Reputation tab along the bottom. You can also enable or disable various options:
 * Show as experience bar: Allows you to display one reputation bar as an experience bar on your main display (located above your level experience bar).
 * At War: If checked, you can initiate combat with NPCs of that faction, and your AoE spells will affect the mobs of that faction. It's always checked if you are Hated or Hostile; it can't be checked for other races within the Alliance/Horde.
 * Inactive: Moves the selected faction to the bottom of the reputation pane.

Gaining and losing reputation
Completing non-repeatable quests will usually increase your reputation with the quest giver's faction(s) by a fixed number of points. Some of the factions also have special repeatable quests that give reputation when completed, or special mobs that give reputation when killed.