A hard question to answer. I'd have to say that there were a few that influenced me. The games that i have played all through my gaming career have all had influences on my design, whether big or small. White Wolf's Storyteller system, the much-derided D&D, Tribe 8, Nobilis, Dust Devils, all had an impact on my design.
What is your favourite environment?
I'm a city boy, born and bred. My dad was a New Yorke, my little brother came into his own in Providence and Boston, and I'm a Philadelphian. I'm currently living in Honolulu, HI, but I wouldn't say I'm a fan of it. It's too warm and sunny here, somethinh i'm not exactly genetically adept at.
What's with that fucked up bump on your arm?
Well, I have a genetic disorder inherrited from my grandfather. Basically, I develop bone tumors. They aren't cancerous in any way, but i do have a number of them sporadically throughout my skeleton. They aren't visible to the naked eye, but you can feel them through my skin if you know where to look. I have five that I am aware of, including one in my wrist, behind my left kneecap, one in my ankle, one in the first knuckle on my left pinky finger and one in the interior of my ribcage. I am a mutant.
How do you approach game design -- story defining mechanics or mechanics in search of a story?
I normally start with a "feeling" that i want to evoke in the game, then work from there. With Criminal Element, I wanted to emulate crime-genre films with player characters losing control of their emotions and the feeling of constant, inevitable escalation. That's where the Collapse conflict came from. Bruise is supposed to emulate gigantic, epic fantasy like the Iliad, so I created a mechanic for communal narrative and an experience system that felt like you were developing a heroic legacy of your character.
What motivates you in life?
I actually don't feel very motivated to do much of anything right now. Maybe if someone would dangle some free comic books in front of my face I would feel more motivated. I'm really kind of jaded right now, so I really don't feel like doing much, outside of drawing alot and hopeully getting some pro work. My motivation for that is my love of the field though. I just love drawing and making art too much to want to do anything else. Maybe that's why I feel so burnt out, I'm not doing what i want to yet. Instead of drawing comics for a living, i'm just selling porn.
What should someone do if Cthulhu offers me a cheese sandwich?
My suggestion in this rather touchy situation is to ask the Elder God if he would like a drink to go along with the sandwich. If he says "yes", then use that as an excuse to run for dear life. Otherwise, i would say give the sandwich a try. You never know, he may have made it with a really good provolone.