I do think it would be a great experiment to build a "D&D as you remember it" setting that is as down to earth as possible, where magic is rare and scary, and anything wacky stands out as new and dangerous.
I feel it's valuable to preserve the past without being constrained by it. Keep publishing old school friendly rules and settings without avoiding new ones. The old muddy settings are good stuff, but the new ideas are good too.
Incidentally was obsessing over elemental control without spells in...
I'm older than the NES. My first D&D edition had Tenser's Transformation, with which a wizard who normally shoots fireballs and lightning bolts can buff out like Master Roshi.
To each their own! It plays much faster than 4E while avoiding the rocket tag of 3E while giving you a ton of things you can do each turn. You also have less rigidly defined class roles than 5E, with more player-chosen options vs. kit options.
I find it quite fun being able to be a magic-user...
It's a damned good product that deserves a bigger audience, especially since WotC gets special treatment in stores due to M:TG on top of the basic brand scale, so I do hope they're able to reach more people with this hire.
In the context of the game, there is a tradition of lighting being costly - the default is a torch in your hand, with a lantern being a costly upgrade. The specific lantern in the game is s lantern that must be carried in the hand or placed on a surface, but this doesn't prevent other lanterns...
Here in Seattle home games are harder to set up, but a third space or online game is a lot easier, and there are plenty of Adventurer's League, Pathfinder Society, etc. groups to be found. Sharing home space is increasingly rare, as fewer people have extra space or time to prepare for guests...