I have a monitor that hates to run outside of 1920x1080 and freaks out when I try to make it, so the basic 1.4 version is un-playable for me because it doesn't have the correct resolution option. I'd dig into the games config file and force the game to go to the resolution I need .... but I cant find the damned thing.
so I guess I'm stuck with the mods ... but they either turn the landscape textures transparent (if I install the DX8 option) or crash the game (if I don't install the DX8 option).
my system is a 3.5ghz phenom II x2 / HD4850 1gb / 2gb ram / XP SP3.
I've read some of the explanations that other have used to fix these issues, but I'm not really understanding them or something, when I try to do the same thing I get no result.

Strange. As far as I am aware, the game natively supports all resolutions.
You're going to have to be more specific.
Exactly what errors do you get? And are you indeed using the GOG.com version? Does the game actually run after you've installed it? Have you tried running it without any mods? Does your computer have DirectX 9.0c or an earlier version installed (a lot of older games won't work if you've only got DirectX 10 installed)?
Edit: also, have you tried updating the drivers for your monitor? By the same token, have you updated your graphics drivers?

If you have a dual monitor setup read this

I don't know why my reply last night didn't show up ....
anyway, no the stock (from gog) version of giants didn't have support for high resolution and/or wide screen monitors. gotta remember that when this game originally came out CRT's were the norm ...
so anyway: I need the unoffical patches / mods to get the correct resolution for my monitor or the game comes out distorted. the mods however seem to cater to the Nividia brand .... not really their fault as the best thing they have to work off of is the Nividia customized version of giants ... I did get the game running by turning off bump mapping, as someone else mentioned, so the main part of my issue has been solved.
while I didn't buy this game for the awesome bump mapped mods, I am now curious if there is a way to get the bump mapping to work on ATI video cards?

The game (from GOG) runs just fine on my widescreen, high-res monitors.
And I am not alone:
[url=http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/wiki/index.php/Giants:_Citizen_Kabuto]http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/wiki/index.php/Giants:_Citizen_Kabuto[/url]
I never noticed any of the distortion mentioned on that page.
Besides, there are plenty of other old games that support modern widescreen ratios just fine, including, for example, Unreal Tournament 99 and virtually all games based on that engine.

I sure didn't see 1920x1080 on the options list, maybe I missed something but your sure getting cheeky for someone who has no clue what I'm talking about ....

You said that the game came out in a time when widescreen resolutions were uncommon and that this was probably the reason the game doesn't work as you expect on your computer. This statement is incorrect, as the game does support widescreen resolutions and should, all things being equal, correctly list the possible resolutions for your monitor, including 1920 x 1080.
However, the problems you are experiencing--and from what I can gather from the limited information you have supplied thus far--seem to be connected to your specific hardware, rather than a problem with the game, or something else that can be solved by installing some mods. It must be related to either your graphics card or your monitor; you may try updating your DirectX drivers as well. However, you haven't given us a great deal to go on, hence my original request to supply some further details in order to nail down the problem.

as I said: I did not see 1920 x 1080 on there.
yes their were 16:9 options ... no my monitor will not support them, it downsizes badly and images come out grainy, off center, and sometimes rejects them completely giving me a signal out of range message.
now if this game does or does not have high rez wide screen is not my issue, even if it did (I'm not really going to waste my time beyond this post checking if your correct or not) I would still be interested in these mods that only partially work on my graphics card.
now please stop talking about the widescreen, I already have my solution to that and I never sought one on this thread. for no reason at all, you've gone from being cheeky to a full on jerk. If you have a magic solution to getting bump mapping W/ the 1.5 peta patch + Giants hook installed: lets hear it ...
... otherwise just go away dude, I don't even know you. I didn't insult you, the game, it's designers, or GOG. likewise I'm not demanding or expecting official support on this from GOG, it's a damned mod issue. all I'm asking is if someone (most likely a user with similar hardware) has a simple fix.
the only reason I asked here instead of on the mod's site is because that side looks pretty dead.

Hold your horses, friend, I was only trying to help. I see no reason for you to start name-calling when I was actually addressing the issues you raised in your posts, or are you now saying that you didn't mention the resolution problems and your monitor "freaking out"? You said, quite clearly: "I need the unoffical patches / mods to get the correct resolution for my monitor."
You then added: "I did get the game running by turning off bump mapping, as someone else mentioned, so the main part of my issue has been solved." I wouldn't exactly call that a solution. You then wanted to know if there was a way to resolve the bump mapping issue via the mods.
The point of my response is something that you, in your incomprehensible fury, apparently missed. My point was that it appears to be a problem related either to YOUR hardware or YOUR drivers. In other words, the mods will, in all likelihood, probably NOT solve your problem. That is why i asked you to supply some further details as regards your system. You haven't given us the exact make of your ATI card, for example. You haven't said whether you tried updating your drivers or DirectX.
Again, just trying to help.
Edit: did you have a look at his post:
http://www.gog.com/en/forum/giants_citizen_kabuto/mods/perm=23/#p_b_23