DLC/MOD Idea: The Black Jacobins, and the Haitian Revolution

With the success of the Mount and Blade DLC, Napoleonic Wars, it has been shown that Mount and Blade is capable of operating during the time of the cannon artillery and line formation. Set during the same time period as the Napoleonic Wars, the Haitian Revolution featured similiar intellectual aspects, technology as in France during their revolution and republic, but the conflict in Haiti would prove to be much more suited for a Mount and Blade grand campaign. Here is why.

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The campaign in Mount and Blade is centered around the player who begins their career from humble beginnings, either as an impoverished noble or as a commoner. Through the player's own diligence they rise through the social ladder and can even become ruler of the entire country. In Haiti, this is exactly what happened. People, such as Toussaint Louverture, Henri Christophe, and Dessalines rose from being enslaved individuals to becoming generals, presidents, and even emperors. Leaders like Toussaint, or Boukman rallied people to their causes.

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The Haitian Revolution was not only a conflict limited to the plight of the enslaved against the French. Various factions and world powers at the time warred in Santo Domingo for control of the island. During the early days of the revolution, who had the Marroons, enslaved Africans who decided to take freedom into their own hands. The Maroons were lead by Dutty Boukman, Cecil Fatima, and the Prophised Georges Biassou. The Maroons lead by these leaders could operate as a smaller faction, and smaller leaderless bands could be utilized as bandits in game. You also have the French Royalist, The Kingdom of France, and the new Republic of France and their loyalist on the island who fought for control. The British Empire and the Spanish Empire were also involved, along with troops from Switzerland and Poland levied by France. And then you also have the Mulattoes who created their own faction in the south. Lastly you have Toussaint, Dessalines, and Christophe who fought under many flags, before striking out on their own to start their own faction which would establish dominance on the island.

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This conflict would be the perfect setting for a Mount and Blade game. There are so many options for combat, diplomacy and the struggle between factions. C.L.R. James' Book, "The Black Jacobins" does an excellent job with the history of the revolution. While reading this book I couldn't help but wonder how great of game could be made from the Haitian revolution.

Submitted September 26, 2018 at 12:27PM by BwanaTarik https://ift.tt/2Q7OWPV