The case for dynamic light in Caves & Cliffs

I recently played the 21w42 snapshot of the new Caves&Cliffs Update to get a feeling for the new world generation and check out the caves. And I have to say, the new caves are a game changer, they feel fresh and exciting and elevate underground exploration to a new level. To make it short; I love them.

But I feel there is one thing that might the caves even better and that is dynamic light. To make it clearer what I propose, I will split my idea up:

1) Light sources hold in main or off-hand should emit light

This feature would allow players to hold a light source and illuminate their surroundings without placing it down. In my opinion the mood of cave exploration could profit from this, while also encouraging players to keep exploring cave systems without much resources. Going underground would become possible much earlier, at the cost of higher risk, since mobs could still spawn outside the light cone around the player. A risk-reward-mechanic could spice exploration up, while being completely optional.

2) A light source dropped as an item should emit light

Apart from the aesthetic benefits, this could fix an issue brought up by the new caves. In parts the new cave generation leads to very steep passages or sudden drops into darkness. Often the player has no way to estimate how deep such a drop is and if climbing down is worth the effort or even possible. In these situations, dropping a light source down to illuminate a small area down below could help making that decision.