Is that the sound of panties bunching that I hear?

As far as straight gauge go - they cost less. They are the base for DB spokes sans additional ops. Sure you can build a wheel with them and it will cost less, be heavier and not any stronger. DB 14g spokes seem to be the sweet spot for stainless alloys used in today's spokes. The tensions needed by the rims combined with the tension balance on the rear seem to combine with the necked down cross section on the DB spoke to provide the right stress for the alloys used. IMHO.

If you'd like to waste your time generating data for a dead market/industry then by all means - go ahead. FEA is FEA. It works - or we wouldn't have the majority of modern structures we have today, but it, like financial numbers, are highly influenced by the individual doing the analysis.