Hate (MMORPG terminology)

Hate, aggro, or threat are slang terms for the internal measures in MMORPGs that determine whether a non-playing character (NPC) will attack a playing character (PC). The game keeps track of several quantities in calculating hate, such as:

* How much damage has been done to the mob by the player.
* Debuffs placed on the mob by the player.
* Heals to other players or NPCs (such as pets) who are attacking the mob.

Aggro is usually an undesirable side-effect of the player's attack on an enemy, but some characters have powers or skills designed to draw the enemy's attention. These abilities are often available to tanks, who can withstand more damage than other players and whose role is to protect the others by distracting the attackers.

Aggro may also be used as an indicator - "We're getting aggro" would mean that the player or party of players is being attacked by aggressive NPCs. To "aggro" an enemy character is to attract its attention - this can be done by using a long distance attack, drawing an individual character away from a group. [World of Warcraft Master Guide, 2nd edition]

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