Isn't this already a first come, first serve? I mean first come to thread and post
Technically that's more of a reservation. I'm talking on the spot, when game setup is actively occurring and players are joining instead of reserving a civ on a forum and not to mention there's no guarantee that the person reserving that civ will actually show up. This isn't Stellaris. Everyone imo should have an equal shot at a civ during game prep. If you don't get what you wanted, come with a back up, or try something new.
this is so we don't spend hours fighting over a single country
tbh that shouldn't be an issue if it's clear that you cannot be guaranteed a specific civs and the availability of specific civs are on a first come, first serve basis upon game day. it adds a sense of randomness to the game and keeps people from trying to secure particularly advantageous civs way in advance of game day. oh, and it may actually force someone to play a civ that they're unfamiliar with thus taking away the advantage of reserving a civ they're particularly familiar. besides, if they're arguing over who gets what country, they might need to find a new game to play. it's like "mid or feed" in dota.