In Dragon Age: Inquisition, the “search ping” ability is a valuable tool for players looking to efficiently gather resources and loot within the expansive game world. By activating this ability, players can send out a pulse that highlights nearby items and enemies, making it significantly easier to spot and collect herbs, metals, and various lootable containers, such as chests and barrels.

Key Features of the Search Ping Ability:

1. Temporary Highlighting: The search ping works by sending out a pulse that temporarily reveals items in your immediate vicinity. These items will be visually highlighted, allowing players to identify gatherable material and loot quickly.

2. Minimap Indicators: In addition to the visual highlights, the search ping will also place temporary dots on the minimap. This feature assists players in tracking the locations of items and enemies without requiring them to be in the direct line of sight.

3. No Permanent Markers: It’s important to note that the ping does not create permanent markers on the map. Instead, it offers a momentary highlighting effect, which requires players to be attentive and ready to collect the items during the brief duration of the ping.

4. Control Scheme Variability: The specific control for activating the search ping varies depending on the player’s platform (PC, Xbox, PlayStation) and individual control settings. Players can find this function typically labeled as “search” or “scan” in the control settings menu, ensuring it can be customized to fit player preferences.

5. Multiplayer Functionality: In the multiplayer mode, the ping feature behaves slightly differently. While it still places dots on the minimap to indicate item/enemy locations, it does not highlight objects directly in the world view, differentiating it from the single-player experience.

Summary:
The search ping ability is essential for resource gathering and exploration in Dragon Age: Inquisition. By offering a temporary highlight of nearby items and placing dots on the minimap, it enhances the player’s ability to navigate and collect efficiently within the game. Keep in mind the variability in controls based on your platform and the specific behaviors of the feature in both single-player and multiplayer modes.