I think DIP works better for PBP, because the slower posting rate allows you to more time to get a feel for the character over a very short span of game time. and conversely there is little point setting up some great in-depth background for your character with loads of hooks or potential plot turns when, in all likelihood, the game will never get to that point. On the other hand, it works quite well if you're running a one-to-one game.
Oh, Theroc, to answer your queries in the Rogues Gallery, XP = 3000, and talking to felines is fine. I think we figured any animal in roughly the same Kingdom was a reasonable approximation.