The incomprehensible vastness in terms both time and space, combined with our own flittering existence, mean that even a universe utterly teeming with life would never see two advanced civilizations actually cross paths.
Von Neumann self replicating probes would make contact between two very distant civilisations eventually happen. Though that may occur after both civilisations are gone and all that remains are the programmed probes creating relay stations to send out more of themselves.
Could you elaborate? To me that seems tobe too anthropocentric thinking.
All thinking about aliens is anthropocentric. We have a sample size of one.