[small]This video is the original video first showing the skip, so it uses outdated ways of doing it. Please refer to the How-to section below for instructions.[/small]

Questionable Ethics skip skips the majority of the chapter Questionable Ethics. It saves around 3 to 5 minutes depending on how well you do Questionable Ethics

It was found by 2838 on July 31st, 2018 with improvements from Table and the_kovic.

[section=How-to]

Getting under the floor

• Start by chapter selecting Questionable Ethics when you enter the it's first map.
• Once the map has loaded back up, continue progressing onward through the map until you get to the corridor where you transition to the next level.
• Jump onto this part of the wall where there are a lot of pipes.

• Begin walking against the wall by turning your mouse slightly to the right to face the wall and walking forwards. If you get stuck, stop, wait a split second and start walking again.

• Continue walking against the wall until you transition to the next level.

• Upon loading the next map, you should be firmly stuck in the wall like this. You'll know that you're stuck in the wall if you can't move and your speed is at 4.69 units per second.

• If you're stuck in the wall, begin Save/Load buffering until you pop back out under the floor.

Transitioning maps

• Invisible walls under the door in the level change room form a corner; walk to that corner.

• Switch to your satchel charge and place a satchel down at the ground. It is recommended that you hold the satchel after throwing it and the place it right behind you so that it pushes you into the corner when it is detonated. The corner of the skybox is a good lineup for where you place the satchel.

[small]Skybox satchel lineup[/small]

• After putting down the satchel, do a damage boost using the satchel by jumping and detonating it.
• When your head hits the "ceiling" under the door, do the Quantum Pause glitch.
• Wait 2 seconds and you should transition into the next map.
• Once you're in the next map, you'll be stuck underground. To get back up simply do a Save Delete.

[section=Explanation]

Why am I in the wall?

This is due to Floor Warp, more specifically due to these 2 sloped surfaces on the wall you stand between and touch causing you to be stuck during the map transition

Why do I damage boost?

There are 2 triggers responsible for transitioning maps: a trigger_changelevel that is responsible for the transition itself, and a trigger_once that triggers the trigger_changelevel as it doesn't trigger from player touch. When making this map, the developers extended both triggers beyond the room they were supposed to be in, so a bit of them stick out the corner of the room.

[small]Both triggers sticking out of the room, viewed in Hammer Editor[/small]

Because of this, the player can hit this trigger to change maps from outside the room, however this trigger is out of reach from the player, even when jumping. As a result, you will need to damage boost yourself to hit the trigger.

Why do I need to do Quantum Pause?

When attempting to do the skip without Quantum Pausing, after you hit the trigger_once and falling back down, nothing will happen. This is because trigger work like this:

• The trigger has an I/O connection of this:

So when the player starts touching the trigger, it will wait for 2 seconds and then fire the output ChangeLevel to the trigger_changelevel (which in this case is called bm_c2a4f_bm_c2a4h_t). This output will tell the trigger_changelevel to transition maps.

• However after the delay of 2 seconds, it will check if the player is still making contact with the trigger or not. If the player only attempts to hit the trigger once; the trigger will not fire the ChangeLevel output to the trigger_changelevel, and in turn, failing the map transition. The console command developer 2 shows the message that the trigger_changelevel sends out when this happens.

[small]Message sent out by the trigger_changelevel[/small]

Quantum Pausing in midair so that the player is always inside the trigger will pass the checking done by the trigger_changelevel, and in turn, transitioning maps.

Why am I underground after transitioning?

A simplified explanation for this is because you are under the map transition room's floor in the last map, on the next map you will be put under the floor of the same room. And since under that room are brushes and the void, you will be stuck inside them.

[small]Player stuck underground after transitioning maps[/small]

[small]The area the player'd be stuck in when transitioning maps, shown in Hammer with all nodraw textures hidden[/small]

[section=See also] Floor Warp Save Deletion on the SourceRuns wiki The Quantum Pause glitch