I was debating the feasibility of portable light sources in Minecraft in another thread. I don't see any plausible reason why dynamic lighting couldn't work in Minecraft. It would be a nice advancement to the mining experience if they figured out a way to do it, and I think lanterns are the way to go.
They could use lamps as a base for lanterns, which would be a coal powered light source that you can take with you.
(Main issue with the netherrack design is that if the forever lit property of netherrack would be overpowered. Perhaps this design would need to have a damage bar that would go down when it's used. Once the bar runs out it breaks. (this is just an alt idea)
The Mechanics
Well dynamic lighting has been avoided for a long time in Minecraft, but really I don't see the issue as being that hard to solve. At some point they should tackle it. They managed to increase max height, they could fix this issue. I have faith in Jeb.
How is it powered?
I think it would be best powered by coal. It should only have one power source in order to keep the fueling system simple.
How will you interact with one?
Right-clicking it while it is held will light it. Doing so will consume an entire coal. Right-clicking again would power it down and save the fuel left in it.
Will it be placable?
I think that placing it on the ground wouldn't be out of the question.
Potential issues
Issue 1: If you throw it on the ground in item form there would be no way to save the fuel value in it. You will lose any fuel that would be in the lantern. i'm not sure how it would carry over. The item on the ground wouldn't be lit.
Issue 2: Maintaining a fuel rate for an item in your inventory will be tricky, especially if you log off and come back. I'm not sure how this will be handled through the code.
Issue 3: If lanterns are placable, destroying them would delete the fuel source. This issue is exactly what happens when you delete the furnace.
There will be hurdles with such a design as any design. All of the specifics need to be worked out, but I don't see any fatal flaws with a fueled lantern idea. There could even be different types of lanterns. feel free to suggest different designs in this thread.
Conclusion
Minecraft needs a portable light source, and I don't think it would be as difficult as people make it out to be. Jeb already did the "impossible" once and this seems like it has a more simpler solution than increasing max height which required an new chunk loading system. It would open up avenues for new mining techniques and we could cut back on torch spam in cave systems. It would have uses in adventure maps, and would add it's first item crafted with the newly added lamps if people agree with my idea. It's entirely okay to suggest something like a netherrack lit lantern. This thread is going to be for lanterns in general, and not the ones that replace torches.
Thoughts, concerns, praise? Make sure you post them.
Edits
Edit: I'm planning to structure details about the lanterns as questions in a FAQ should of fashion. If you see anything that isn't obvious that you think should be included in the OP post it.
Edit: Telling me they already said no to this idea is unhelpful. They said No to increasing height. This makes that argument irrelevent, because as long as its conceptually feasible, then there's always the chance it will happen. Unless you want to back your argument up with clearcut reasons why it wouldn't be reasonable, then don't mention this as a reason.
Monsters spawn 25 blocks away so even with a lantern in hand you'll still encounter monsters, and why would you go into a cave without torches and stroll around without using them to prevent monsters from spawning on your way out. Overall alot of people want this, but in reality it has no real use.
It has a purpose. It makes for more intimidating exploration. I have always wanted mobs to spawn in the cave systems I explore, but in order to explore them I have to light everything up. If it was done this way I could be able to see where I'm going, while not polluting every corner of a cave system with torches. I could choose which systems to torch up and leave the rest for mob spawning areas.
I think it has purpose enough to include it.
I don't think that held torches should emit light, but lanterns should. It would balance purpose, and risk, while keeping the main way of lighting things largely the same. It would also make Jeb's night vision potion possible.
Who doesn't want a night vision potion? A glow potion effect could be an easier implementation of night-vision. This code would allow this to happen.
This code could allow things like putting glowstone in minecarts for a glowing cart.
This idea is not useless. The code behind it could be used for many applications.
They could use lamps as a base for lanterns, which would be a coal powered light source that you can take with you.
http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/184426-11-snapshots-dynamic-lights/
Crafting Recipe
Lamp-powered
gold ore = lamp. (Open for suggestions)
Netherrack-powered
lava = netherrack
(Main issue with the netherrack design is that if the forever lit property of netherrack would be overpowered. Perhaps this design would need to have a damage bar that would go down when it's used. Once the bar runs out it breaks. (this is just an alt idea)
The Mechanics
Well dynamic lighting has been avoided for a long time in Minecraft, but really I don't see the issue as being that hard to solve. At some point they should tackle it. They managed to increase max height, they could fix this issue. I have faith in Jeb.
How is it powered?
I think it would be best powered by coal. It should only have one power source in order to keep the fueling system simple.
How will you interact with one?
Right-clicking it while it is held will light it. Doing so will consume an entire coal. Right-clicking again would power it down and save the fuel left in it.
Will it be placable?
I think that placing it on the ground wouldn't be out of the question.
Potential issues
Issue 1: If you throw it on the ground in item form there would be no way to save the fuel value in it. You will lose any fuel that would be in the lantern. i'm not sure how it would carry over. The item on the ground wouldn't be lit.
Issue 2: Maintaining a fuel rate for an item in your inventory will be tricky, especially if you log off and come back. I'm not sure how this will be handled through the code.
Issue 3: If lanterns are placable, destroying them would delete the fuel source. This issue is exactly what happens when you delete the furnace.
There will be hurdles with such a design as any design. All of the specifics need to be worked out, but I don't see any fatal flaws with a fueled lantern idea. There could even be different types of lanterns. feel free to suggest different designs in this thread.
Conclusion
Minecraft needs a portable light source, and I don't think it would be as difficult as people make it out to be. Jeb already did the "impossible" once and this seems like it has a more simpler solution than increasing max height which required an new chunk loading system. It would open up avenues for new mining techniques and we could cut back on torch spam in cave systems. It would have uses in adventure maps, and would add it's first item crafted with the newly added lamps if people agree with my idea. It's entirely okay to suggest something like a netherrack lit lantern. This thread is going to be for lanterns in general, and not the ones that replace torches.
Thoughts, concerns, praise? Make sure you post them.
Edits
Edit: I'm planning to structure details about the lanterns as questions in a FAQ should of fashion. If you see anything that isn't obvious that you think should be included in the OP post it.
Edit: Telling me they already said no to this idea is unhelpful. They said No to increasing height. This makes that argument irrelevent, because as long as its conceptually feasible, then there's always the chance it will happen. Unless you want to back your argument up with clearcut reasons why it wouldn't be reasonable, then don't mention this as a reason.
http://www.minecraftforum.net/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=155932
Crates
http://www.minecraftforum.net/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=239467
Item Scrolling
http://www.minecraftforum.net/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=174539
Do some reasearch before you post >.>
I think it has purpose enough to include it.
I don't think that held torches should emit light, but lanterns should. It would balance purpose, and risk, while keeping the main way of lighting things largely the same. It would also make Jeb's night vision potion possible.
Who doesn't want a night vision potion? A glow potion effect could be an easier implementation of night-vision. This code would allow this to happen.
This code could allow things like putting glowstone in minecarts for a glowing cart.
This idea is not useless. The code behind it could be used for many applications.
http://www.minecraftforum.net/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=155932
Crates
http://www.minecraftforum.net/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=239467
Item Scrolling
http://www.minecraftforum.net/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=174539