Warlords of Draenor: Change your guards with exalted reputation
Ever since the means to actually grind reputations all the way to exalted was implemented in vanilla, I've always wished there was more to them. Certainly as later reputations were added with each additional expansion to the game, we got all kinds of amazing rewards. Yet our reputations within our own alliances netted us very little. I could be a human and exalted with Darnassus, but all that would do is unlock access to the mounts that the night elves rode around on. Other rewards were added later in the game, but nothing particularly striking.
A fascinating post over on Reddit pointed out something very interesting coming up in Warlords of Draenor, however -- it seems those old vanilla reputations are getting a little more use in the next expansion. Along with being able to choose what buildings you place in your garrision, you can also choose which guards you'd like to have patrol your Draenor fortress ... provided you have the reputation to do so. After seeing the post, I had to go check it out myself on beta and see how it worked.
To change your guards, simply talk to the appropriate faction officer in your Town Hall. You won't see officers for factions you aren't exalted with. On the beta I'm only exalted with the Exodar, so the only officer standing in my Town Hall was a draenei named Officer Torluun, who offered me the option to have the draenei come protect my garrison if I wanted it done. I gave him the word, went outside, and every guard in the place had changed to the guards shown above. At the present time, there doesn't seem to be a way to change the guards back to human -- but I'm not exalted with Stormwind, so it may simply be a matter of grinding the reputation out.
Currently, it seems as though the option is not available for Horde garrisons, but I'm sure it will be added in due time. Although the garrison guards are nothing more than a visual preference, I think this is the first time it's ever felt like those old vanilla reputations had some weight and impact in the game. Sure, they may not do anything substantial, but I'm glad I can call on the allies I've helped out time and time again, and give my garrison some additional flavor while I'm at it.
