I'm trying to understand how PBPs work, and the netiquette involved. I see that when a PBP calls for, say, 5 people, then the first 5 people who respond get to join, and the next few are put on a "reserve list."
What exactly does that mean?
Suppose a long time goes by and one player doesn't show any signs of creating a character. Could the GM say "John Tardy, post within 2 days or I'm replacing you with the first reserve player," or something like that?
Suppose the game has been going on for months and months, and a certain player drops out. Does the GM expect the people on the "reserve list" to be following the PBP for all those months? Would the GM be expected to say "Jane Reserve, if you respond within a week, you get to fill the empty slot?"
That could be one instance. The first five people to respond in a PbP don't necessarily get the spots though, depending on the GM. I have seen GM send out a Message in the Gamer Connection area that says: Looking for 'Reserve', then explaining the situation within the post when a slot needs to be filled.