most likely scenario is big distances + big gaps in time, it would be a huge coincidence for 2 civilizations to emerge close enough in time and space to encounter one another
I've had this idea rolling my head that if FTL travel were possible (by things like stargates), then time would cease to be a meaningful distinguishing factor between civilizations. Like, once you develop the mass-effect gates, or whatever, and use it you ought to appear on the other side where the entire universe already has warpgates and a universe teeming with sentient life because of how FTL travel affects time and causality - even if you're "the first". It'd be like the Star Trek Prime Directive but enforced by some weird-ass phenomena of the physics of the universe.
most likely scenario is big distances + big gaps in time, it would be a huge coincidence for 2 civilizations to emerge close enough in time and space to encounter one another
I've had this idea rolling my head that if FTL travel were possible (by things like stargates), then time would cease to be a meaningful distinguishing factor between civilizations. Like, once you develop the mass-effect gates, or whatever, and use it you ought to appear on the other side where the entire universe already has warpgates and a universe teeming with sentient life because of how FTL travel affects time and causality - even if you're "the first". It'd be like the Star Trek Prime Directive but enforced by some weird-ass phenomena of the physics of the universe.