Honestly, I don't think the patch incompatibility issues will ever be resolved. On the other hand, it's not such a big deal at all. Click
HERE and scroll down to get a thoroughly detailed breakdown of how exactly the patch compatibility works.
Sadly, I can't say how or where the GOG version fits into all of this, as I haven't really looked into it. Perhaps somebody else may be able to answer that.
I also can't answer your question regarding the resolution; it's been too long since I played, so I don't remember if it adds options for higher resolution. I don't *think* so, but I could be wrong. If it does, then it's nothing major, though - Nothing like what you have on modern games, that is.