The thing is Sparkly, other than our own sun our nearest star is about 4.2 light years distant. Theoretically speaking travelling at half the speed of light, visitors from that solar system could reach us in about 8 years – so given the capability of travelling at that sort of speed, not beyond the realms of possibility. Just because distances are vast it doesn’t follow that any potential life out there is always going to be hundreds of millions of light years away. It may be just up the road – so to speak.
TTT, // "Does the same laws and fundamental constants and variables apply throughout the universe ?" – yes//
A more appropriate answer to that would be 'we don’t know' - because we don't.
//due to the 2nd gen star issue aliens will not be that much different in advancement than us.//
That assumes that the occupants of all other inhabited planets appeared at exactly the same time as us and advanced at the same rate, but that isn’t necessarily true. Even 5 or 10 thousand years – a drop in the ocean when we’re talking billions – would be very significant indeed. Imagine where our technology will have taken us in 5 or 10 thousand years – or even in 500 or one thousand years.
I don’t believe anyone should be giving definitive answers to those questions. Where the science of space is concerned we are mere infants. I think you need to broaden your outlook and reach for the stars, TTT. ;o)