I've thought about this for a while and thought it would add an interesting element to minecraft, one involving more ways to create logic and circuitry in mine craft in a more compressed manner.
Using light beams that can intersect and travel next to each other without connecting unlike redstone. The other benefit is that it can travel any distance without running out. The downsides to this is that light beams can only travel in a straight line, unless redirected by a mirror. Light beams also need a source of light to be made such as a torch or the sun/moon. In order to create light beams, you will need crystals. On to the specifics! (I'm writing this post on my iPad because my laptop is fried atm, so no emotes for crafting)
Cystal blocks:
naturally occurring ore like blocks, they spawn in the same layers as redstone, but are slightly less common than redstone and occurring in veins of 2-4 blocks. The block is affected by gravity but acts differently from gravel or sand. If the block were to fall, it would break, yielding a single crystal shard. Should you mine it with a pickaxe, it will also yield one shard. Should you punch it to break it, it will yield 3-6 shards. I think it should look like a glass block, but with crystal like shapes on the surfaces.
Crystal shards:
These shards are used for all light beam related items, in one way or another. They would probably look like quartz crystals in your inventory or as drops.
Lens:
Lenses are the only way to create light beams, they take two steps to craft. First get 9 shards and fill the crafting box with them, the resultant will be a crystal conglomerate. You must then smelt this to make a lens. Lenses are also affected by gravity and break when they fall, so be careful! When a lens is hit by light, a beam will come out of the opposite side of it. Sunlight, moonlight, torches, and redstone torches all work. Torches must be next to the lens for the lens to emit a beam, it will emit it from the opposite side. For sunlight and moonlight, when the sun/moon is closer to the horizon, lenses will emit beams in the opposite direction of the sun/moon unlece the face of the lens facing the sun/moon is blocked by block right next to it. When the sun/moon is high in the sky, light will be emitted downwards. This is still useful because light beams can go through glass. To pick it up, you must use your hand, otherwise it breaks.
Mirrors:
The only way to redirect light beams, it is a fairly simple crafting recipe. / is a stick, # is a shard.
[_][_][#]
[_][#][ /] = Mirror
[#][ /][_]
Mirrors will float, and when placed will have one reflected direction face you, and the other up. Once placed, the direction facing you can't be changed, but you can cycle the other reflected direction between up left down and right by right clicking it (like a redstone repeater). You must use your hand to pick up a mirror, similarly to lenses.
Receivers:
These, when hit with a light beam, it emits redstone power. It receives light from one end and emits power from all the other sides. Cobble is +, redstone dust is ^, shard is #
[+][+][+]
[#][^][+] = receiver
[+][+][+]
The receiving end of the receiver will face you when you place it, like pistons. These have to be picked up with a pickaxe because it's made of stone.
Light beams:
Light beams are what are emitted from the lenses and come in two "flavors". Regular white beams can be made by the sun and torches. The beam gives off a light level slightly dimmer than a torch. The other type of light beam is the red light beam. The red light beam can be made with redstone torches or the moon. This beam gives off a light level equal to a redstone torch and all redstone circuitry adjacent to it (or any redstone object like a door or piston) will be powered by it. Redstone wire will only be powered for 5 blocks though. Light beams can travel an infinite distance with the limit only being your render distance, can pass through glass and through each other without any interference.
I might come up with more later, but for now this is all that can come to mind. Suggestions are appreciated!
Sorry, someone already did this. Look at Integrated Redstone and Wireless redstone in the released mods section. While they don't use light (they use custom wire) these mods grant everything you describe and took their creators 500+ hours to program.
Thanks, it was just an idea, but I'm glad to see that people liked the idea. I have heard of the wireless redstone mod, however my goal was to keep this balanced and for every pro, there was at least one con. Any who, thanks for the support!
Using light beams that can intersect and travel next to each other without connecting unlike redstone. The other benefit is that it can travel any distance without running out. The downsides to this is that light beams can only travel in a straight line, unless redirected by a mirror. Light beams also need a source of light to be made such as a torch or the sun/moon. In order to create light beams, you will need crystals. On to the specifics! (I'm writing this post on my iPad because my laptop is fried atm, so no emotes for crafting)
Cystal blocks:
naturally occurring ore like blocks, they spawn in the same layers as redstone, but are slightly less common than redstone and occurring in veins of 2-4 blocks. The block is affected by gravity but acts differently from gravel or sand. If the block were to fall, it would break, yielding a single crystal shard. Should you mine it with a pickaxe, it will also yield one shard. Should you punch it to break it, it will yield 3-6 shards. I think it should look like a glass block, but with crystal like shapes on the surfaces.
Crystal shards:
These shards are used for all light beam related items, in one way or another. They would probably look like quartz crystals in your inventory or as drops.
Lens:
Lenses are the only way to create light beams, they take two steps to craft. First get 9 shards and fill the crafting box with them, the resultant will be a crystal conglomerate. You must then smelt this to make a lens. Lenses are also affected by gravity and break when they fall, so be careful! When a lens is hit by light, a beam will come out of the opposite side of it. Sunlight, moonlight, torches, and redstone torches all work. Torches must be next to the lens for the lens to emit a beam, it will emit it from the opposite side. For sunlight and moonlight, when the sun/moon is closer to the horizon, lenses will emit beams in the opposite direction of the sun/moon unlece the face of the lens facing the sun/moon is blocked by block right next to it. When the sun/moon is high in the sky, light will be emitted downwards. This is still useful because light beams can go through glass. To pick it up, you must use your hand, otherwise it breaks.
Mirrors:
The only way to redirect light beams, it is a fairly simple crafting recipe. / is a stick, # is a shard.
[_][_][#]
[_][#][ /] = Mirror
[#][ /][_]
Mirrors will float, and when placed will have one reflected direction face you, and the other up. Once placed, the direction facing you can't be changed, but you can cycle the other reflected direction between up left down and right by right clicking it (like a redstone repeater). You must use your hand to pick up a mirror, similarly to lenses.
Receivers:
These, when hit with a light beam, it emits redstone power. It receives light from one end and emits power from all the other sides. Cobble is +, redstone dust is ^, shard is #
[+][+][+]
[#][^][+] = receiver
[+][+][+]
The receiving end of the receiver will face you when you place it, like pistons. These have to be picked up with a pickaxe because it's made of stone.
Light beams:
Light beams are what are emitted from the lenses and come in two "flavors". Regular white beams can be made by the sun and torches. The beam gives off a light level slightly dimmer than a torch. The other type of light beam is the red light beam. The red light beam can be made with redstone torches or the moon. This beam gives off a light level equal to a redstone torch and all redstone circuitry adjacent to it (or any redstone object like a door or piston) will be powered by it. Redstone wire will only be powered for 5 blocks though. Light beams can travel an infinite distance with the limit only being your render distance, can pass through glass and through each other without any interference.
I might come up with more later, but for now this is all that can come to mind. Suggestions are appreciated!
I don't want to give off too much info but it will be close to what you said.