I'm using paddle strops almost exclusively, so I don't worry much about pressure. I think the major concern with pressure has to be bowing of the strop and resulting rounding of the edge. The only other problem I can see is that the pressure is so great that it causes the edge to rise of the surface of the strop. That's a lot of pressure, so there's really a large range that will work with a paddle strop.

As for the drag, I don't find that as a good measure of pressure. When I come off of my pasted strops anything above the slightest pressure produces a draw immediately.

As for the x-pattern (or tilting) on a plain strop, I don't think it makes a difference. The barbers manual prescribes it for a hone, and there's a good reason. With pasted strops, I don't know. If you use the x-pattern or heel leading approach on a pasted strop, the scratch pattern doesn't match a hone's but crosses it. To match the hone you would need to do an x-pattern that goes from tip to heel or move along the strop with tip leading.