Editing Halo: The Rubicon Protocol

* Despite having narrative connections to ''Halo Infinite'', ''Halo: The Rubicon Protocol'' was reported prior to release to stand on its own and would not be "required reading" for fans to understand the game's story.{{Ref/Reuse|CFParallel}} Care was taken to ensure the geographical or positioning details lined up with the game;{{Ref/Twitter|Id=identifying|haruspis|1546873363884392448|Alex Wakeford|Quote=Shoutout to @HaloGuyYoutube, who found Spartan Stone's escape pod on Zeta Halo based on the description given in the Rubicon Protocol's opening chapter preview! We worked super hard to ensure the geographical/positioning details lined up with the game.}}  certain in-game locations, including [[Outpost Tremonius (location)|Outpost Tremonius]], the [[Tower]], the [[Conservatory (location)|Conservatory]], and a [[beacon tower]]'s interior, were depicted in the novel as well. The novel expands on the narrative depicted in the ''Halo Infinite'' [[Audio log (Halo Infinite)|audio logs]], having incorporated events from several logs. As such, previously unidentified characters in the audio logs were given names in the novel, such as [[Gorian]], [[Ouco]], and [[Elfie]]. Author Kelly Gay used the audio logs as mileposts of the characters' journeys during the novel, and admitted that doing so posed some challenges to the writing process as the narrative needed to intersect with the chosen logs; occasionally, parts of the novel have changed as ''Halo Infinite'' went through development changes.{{Ref/Site|Id=CFRundown|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/canon-fodder-rubicon-rundown|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder - Rubicon Rundown|D=4|M=8|Y=2022}} Vice versa, the novel also influenced elements of the game. Notably, [[Nina Kovan]] and [[Tomas Horvath]] were set to be killed in the audio logs. Kelly Gay, while writing the novel, discussed with 343 Industries to cut the audio logs that depicted their deaths, allowing Gay to expand on the fates of the two Spartans in the novel.{{Ref/Twitter|KellyHGay|1626704260959199232|Kelly Gay|Quote=Glad you enjoyed it! :D Fun Fact: During game development Kovan & Horvath were originally KIA in the campaign audio logs story. Writing the book during development, gave me the chance to work w/343 to pick certain Spartans to keep alive & kicking. 🤗}}

* In the novel, Nina Kovan mentions that herself and [[Bonita Stone]] had served together for a decade between [[2550]] and [[2560]], with the two having first met aboard the warship {{UNSCShip|Relentless Watch}}.{{Ref/Novel|Id=TRP30|TRP|30|Quote='Ten years,' Kovan finally said. 'We met on the reconnaissance starship ''Relentless Watch'' before joining the SPARTAN-IV program. Recon was hardwired into her DNA from the beginning.'}} This would seemingly contradict the birth date given for Stone in the ''[[Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition)]]'', in which Stone is established to have been born in [[2535]].{{Ref/Book|Enc22|Page=102}} Were this the case,  Stone would have been only fifteen years old when she began serving onboard the ''Relentless Watch''.

*[https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/canon-fodder-rubicon-rundown ''Halo Waypoint'', Halo: The Rubicon Protocol - Preview 3]