Multiplayer, no PvP but seperate tech

[GHam]

Hey all!

A few buddies and I played a bunch before 1.0 and are now ready to dive back in with 1.1. This time I was hoping we could play with our own "bases" fighting for resources but not direct PvP. We trust each other enough not to steal but I would like to have seperate tech trees but the same starting spot like in regular free play. I can't figure out how to set it up that way. PvP and making an alliance still starts too far apart. Any suggestions?

Thanks!