With four-cross on a low-flange hub, the spokes may be so close to tangent that the shaft of each spoke overlaps the head of its neighbour. This seems OK when you are building the wheel with the spokes starting out all slack but if a spoke breaks later, it may be impossible to get the broken spoke head out from under the tensioned spokes or thread the new one into the hole.
With high-flange hubs, yes, the spoke does meet the rim at an uncomfortable angle but if you "improve the spoke line" as Jobst Brandt advises in his book, it should be fine. I'm just an amateur builder but our 40-spoke 4X high-flange tandem wheels have been bomb-proof through several years of loaded touring.