Hi ! I have an idea that would be so cool, a multiplayer mode where you can play with your friends in real time.
Like, you'll can trade/attack your friends (like if they were AI) or just be in the same faction as your friends and play in group.
Well... Technically you mostly can do this as long as you are fine with this being cooperative only.
First of all you need a Multiplayer mod. Please note that it might have compatibility issues with other mods, but thankfully it also adds pretty good indication to your mod lists.
Then make a custom scenario with all the colonists for both of you.
Start a game.
Open game menu and in the middle column find a slider "maximum settlements" and put it to 2.
Then one of you packs up, form a caravan, goes elsewhere, and settles in a new place.
Done. Now you have 2 permament settlements. Technically you can instantly jump to each other and mess around, but if you play fair, you can have multiplayer experience with 2 separate bases.