Do you miss anything out with a torch

[Daddy Warbucks]

I know you get less loot but are there any hidden unique loot you only get when the torch is out?

[Narrowmind]

Not that I can recall.

[76561199782513939]

Perhaps Jute in veteran, couldn't get it on full light. You are better to speedrun cartographer camp, it's massive upgrade

[Arroba]

yes in the secrets doors o halls . but this rooms isn´t more in the maps .

[Justice]

No, unless you wanna fight random Shambler at 0 torch x_x
But we have mysterious eldrich altars for that, so no.

In fact at higher torch level you have higher scouting chance and find secret room. But if you want more loot just sniff out torch at end of a fight or when you backtrack to collect all the curious

[RopeDrink]

Torchlight is the closest thing to a difficulty slider in Darkest Dungeon, so while profit does play a big part in such decisions, the more important element is whether the additional risk is worth that potential profit.

Snuffing the torch raises a lot of risk and exchanges efficient map scouting + more favourable surprise chances for a higher volume of loot per curio (and a lot more danger). For players still learning the game, it is better to keep the light maximized, as scouting for loot or good quest routes will often trump riskier loot volume, especially if they're not clearing dungeons with max-health and low stress, saving on Hamlet costs.

Having said that, it is wise to snuff the torch once you enter a secret room (to maximize the profit of its container), or while snagging curios (after a mission) before heading home, and if you're looking for an added challenge, you'll find it by playing completely torchless. If you can learn to succeed that way, you'll be richer -- but one bad shuffle/surprise, one bad string of crits against a non-greased team, one corridor shambler spawning on top of a static team (etc, etc), can ruin your day, and nothing is more costly than failure, especially if deaths are involved.

To be more specific, torchlight doesn't alter the loot table (ie. you won't find items unique to bright light or unique to the dark), but rather, it increases the potential volume of profit found inside lootable curios -- larger amounts of gold, more gems, more chance of trinkets, and so-forth. Sure, you can spawn corridor shambles by playing torchless (which can drop Ancestral trinkets), but you can also acquire those from altar shambles and later missions, so it's not like playing torchless is a requirement.

[Ghoul Hunter]

The "darkness = more loot" thing is kind of a trap. You might find a few extra drops, but you will also be exiting early, not 100%ing dungeons, and missing out on secret rooms.

Just bring an antiquarian if you want gold. No drawbacks, and lots of loot. Make sure to have them selected, so that they trigger the extra loot finds.