Missions & Complexes

RLML, medium drones (T2 with the extra skill), passive shielding (using T2 rigs and maybe those guristas modules they are only 15 mill each).

works for L4s?
maybe upgrade to heavy missile launcher?

thoughts?

Actually meant to use gila until I can fly ratller.

Eft tests of all V profile and t2 weapons shows around 800-900 dps... So i thought at least it`ll be doable with decent skills.

It might feel like you're running slower with that subconscious thought of "under 1000 dps...yuck," mentality; but, as stated, you'll have generally better align time, more mobility, and better grid-to-grid transit due to higher warp speed/accel/decel to make up for it. Longer running missions may suffer on completion time though, like Blockade or Enemies Abound 5 of 5. Missions like Angles Extrav and others that are either short or have a lot of traveling -- especially when your agents like to send you a ways often -- will take much less time because you'll be able to fully utilize the "cruiser's advantage" here.

A Rattler will do the same thing for more dps but less mobility in those regards. Both are good, though personally I'd stick to the Rattler out of the two.

What SP and skills are we talkin?

I did lvl 4 in a Gila, excellent ship. Fit was:
Low: 4 drone damage amp
Mid: corelum AB, 2 cn large shield extenders, 2-3 hardeners, drone navigation comp
High: rapid lights, drone range augmentor

Rigs t2 shield purger rigs.

Does with augmented hammerheads almost 900dps, fast warp speed.
For most missions better then Rattlesnake, because agility and fast warp. Decline missions like extravaganza, vengeance, because they take a lot of time to complete.

Lol hardeners of course...

~750 dps

H- 4x RLML

M- 3x LSE
M- 2x Hardener
M- 10mn AB

L- 3x DDA
L- SPR

R- 3x Purgers


Missiles do ~155 dps @ 30km
Drones do ~600 dps @ 60km

With mission specific hardeners your looking at ~30k ehp that will sustain up to ~450 dps
Ship is very mobile and runs at ~666 m/s

Handles L4's fine
T2 modules are sufficient to the task, no need for bling


edit
With a +4% CPU implant you can use

H- 4x HML

which gets you ~180 dps @ 47km

And how long do you have to wait for the drones to close this range? My math suggests it would be roughly 21 seconds for an all drones skills 5 pilot with no implants, rigs or modules that could affect speed. So when you add the travel time to the time required for them to chew through a target your effective DPS is significantly lower. And we have not even begun to talk about the potential that your drones are taking damage the entire time they are in transit.

But this all comes back to what you the OP wants from a mission ship.
If you want to fly a GIla then nothing anyone can put into this discussion will make any difference.

But you did ask for thoughts and opinions.
The Gila is capable but slow to complete missions and is susceptible to destruction should you get webbed and not be able to eliminate the webbers quickly enough.
The Ishtar is also a capable level 4 ships and in many ways it's ability to use sentry drones and the fact that it bonuses all sizes of drones make it a better ship than the Gila. Again subject to destruction if webbed.
The Domi and Navy Domi as well as the Rattle are excellent level 4 ships as well and their advantages, better DPS, more flexible drones load outs and superior tank can and often do allow them to complete mission faster than is possible with the Gila.

Forget heavy drones - go for a combination of sentries and rapid heavy launchers.

Those are just simple calculations, in practice you'd be surprised how much drones derp. Even after reaching their target they initially overshoot and miss a few shots before settling into their orbit. You're also not taking into account the acceleration and deceleration of drones. So even though the next target is only 10km away, they have to accelerate to reach their target, overshoot yet again, then slow down before their paper dps is being applied.

Also drone dps isn't as reliable as guns/missiles. Sometimes drones inexplicably outtrack their own tracking against massive targets. For example if you use heavy drones on a POCO, you'll find that they get grazing shots and misses sometimes.

It's really sentries or go home for PvE IMO. Of course combat drones are useable and have their niche (AFK Ishtar/VNI in null). However if you're looking for efficiency you can't beat instant damage application.