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aonean, (sorry if I spelled it wrong) you included RPI in your query. You want to know why light would be interesting or have value.
RPIs are coded with the emphasis on realism. That means if it's dark, you can get lost. If you're carrying a torch in a storm, the torch can go out. Eventually, all torches run out of oil to stay lit. The risk of getting lost in a dangerous area and running into a bad thing (or falling into a pit) is fun, for people who play RPIs. There might be a class of characters who can maneuver around in the dark better than others - this makes that class more valueable in those situations, and gives other character classes a solid reason to want to interact with them.
I believe realism, in an RPI, is a lofty goal and worth striving for. I also believe that playability should always be on the top of the priority list. So you balance realism with playability -
Have torches, but have some other method of lighting a dark room. Have the sun during the day, and moons at night, but also have magick classes that can cast shadows for those who prefer to live in darkness (or who want to trap prey who are lost without light).
As for the day/night thing, I'd rather keep it relatively simple. Have two sets of "outdoor" rooms in the game. Maybe just a single sentence at the end of the room paragraph to differentiate them.
Blah blah blah blah blah, blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah blah. Blah blah. Unlit lanterns hang from poles on the edge of the street.
(same paragraph)...blah blah. Lanterns shine brightly from poles on the edge of the street.
And instead of having a different paragraph for each phase of daylight in every single room, have a "weather" system that sends a room echo whenever the sun/moon(s)/wind/storms shift - with the additional "weather" command allowing a player to know what the weather is inbetween echoes.
Another perk this kind of system offers, is that the player can check the weather in the immediate surroundings. If you're in a wilderness area and there's a storm brewing off to the west, you don't have to find out by getting stuck in it. You can look to the west, or type weather west, and learn that the dust is kicking up in that direction. No torch is gonna help you there, but if you're of a class with excellent outdoor maneuverability (or have one in your group), you stand a chance of getting through it unscathed.
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