The idea of torches has been bugging me. Here's what I think Starbit = an object that's dropped from all low level mobs. Wood = Secretly bought from a shady npc. Starbit + Wood = Starlight! ~ Thank You! John Devince
Or call them "flares." With a few different materials for burning in different environments. I agree that "torches" doesn't really fit thematically.
There could be various ways to illuminate ambients. Torches can exist, but i guess we can make them temporary, instead of burning eternally as in Terraria and Minecraft. A constructed light source need something to use energy as source to create somehow light, and of course, energy. Having this in mind, we can have classical electrical light bulbs, plants that glow in darkness, steam-based light sources(a gas that shines when in high temperature?), a mirror scheme to bring light to deep caves...
There could be different types of torches made up of slightly different things, with different light levels.
This is a great idea the name starbit reminds me of super mario galaxy though I would overuse these things
One thing that nags me in Minecraft, you can't pack a torchlight in your hand. Your guy can wire up things as dramatic and complex as an actual simulated GPU and CPU with memory (youtube it, minecraft CPU/memory) yet you can't make a flashlight type of lightsource. Since this is sci-fi make shoulder-lamps at the least, you know like the Marines from Aliens had?
Didn't you see the lighting video? There ARE flashlights implemented. Look at the front page for the video, it's quite awesome! Also, about torches feeling not-so-much sci-fi, well, you're probably right, but the idea in the OP doesn't sound too sci-fi either (not really scientific). Why should something as common as WOOD be bought from an NPC like it's something "shady"? And anyways, every lighting system that won't depend on electricity or a similar type of energy will feel "primitive". What could be done is lights powered with portable batteries, but then they should have a duration, not be eternal.
I think you people are over-complicating things. I personally think that torches are fine as a starting light source. Who says we need to START in the future, when it could be made fun just getting there? However, there needs to be a certain air of progression in the game, I think, obviously including light to see by. Here's an idea: Hang a flashlight on the wall. Bam. Instant electric light.