[Forager]

Have you tried reinstalling vpmedias map pack?

You said: "both Net6Islands (which loads fine) and Net7Islands .ini files are exactly the same."

Here is my Net6Islands, there are differences between it and 7 below.
If you compare them there are a lot of differences from the [FIELDS] section down.

Code:

[MAP]
ColorMap  = map_c.tga
HeightMap = map_h.tga
SmallMap  = map_M.tga
TypeMap   = map_T.tga
FarMap    = map_F.tga
ReflMap   = map_R.tga

[LIGHT]
  LandLight = LandLight.mat
  CloudShadows = CloudShadows.mat

[MAP2D]
ed_m02.tga
ed_m01.tga

[WORLDPOS]
CAMOUFLAGE = SUMMER
MONTH=7
DECLIN = 54
PRESSURE    = 745
TEMPERATURE =  17

[CUBE]
Down  = Cube_bott.tga
East  = Cube_right.tga
North = Cube_front.tga
South = Cube_back.tga
Up    = Cube_top.tga
West  = Cube_left.tga

[static]
actors.static
[text]
texts.txt

[WOOD]
Wood0  = Italy_DF/forest/summer/itawood0.tga
Wood1  = Italy_DF/forest/summer/itawood1.tga
Wood2  = Italy_DF/forest/summer/itawood2.tga
Wood3  = Italy_DF/forest/summer/itawood3.tga
Wood4  = Italy_DF/forest/summer/itawood4.tga

WoodMask2  = forest/summer/ForestMask.tga
WoodMask3  = forest/summer/ForestMask2.tga
WoodMiniMasks = forest/summer/MiniMask.tga
SideWood = forest/summer/ForestSide.tga

[APPENDIX]
HighClouds = sk_Clouds256.tga
HighCloudsNoise = sk_CloudsNoise.tga
Moon = Moon/Moon0000.tga
ShadeNoise = land/sk_Noise.tga
WaterNoise = water/WaterNoise.tga
WaterNoiseAnimStart = Water/Animated/WaterNoise00.tga
ForestNoise= forest/summer/sk_ListForestNoise.tga
BeachFoam = water/Foam.tga
BeachSurf = water/BeachSurf.tga
BeachLand = water/RiverLand.tga
Tree0 = Trees/sk_AlteredBush8a.tga
TreeLightMask = Trees/LightM256.tga

[WATER]
Water    = water/Water.tga
WaterColorATI = 0.150 0.225 0.180
WaterColorNV  = 0.165 0.264 0.233

[ROADS]
Rail     = land/summer/sk_Rail
Road     = land/summer/Road
Highway  = land/summer/sk_Highway

[FIELDS]
LowLand0 = land/summer/sk_lowland0.tga
LowLand1 = land/summer/rom_mount0.tga
LowLand2 = land/summer/sk_fields_midland2.tga
LowLand3 = land/summer/sk_fields_mount2.tga,2

MidLand0 = land/summer/sk_fields_midland2.tga,2
MidLand1 = water/rom_CoastLine1.tga
MidLand2 = land/summer/sk_lowland0.tga // mountain sides map center
MidLand3 = land/summer/sk_fields_mount4.tga,2 // mountains bottom

Mount0   = land/summer/sk_fields_midland2.tga //mountain1 ok
Mount1   = land/summer/sk_fields_mount4.tga,2 // peek ok
Mount2   =
Mount3   =  

Country0 = land/summer/sk_fields_midland2.tga // rock patches
Country1 = land/summer/sk_fields_mount5.tga,2 //mounts mid
Country2 = land/summer/sk_fields_mount4.tga,2 // mounts top
Country3 =  

City0    = land/summer/rom_DownCity.tga
City1    = land/summer/MidCity.tga
City2    = land/summer/rom_CenterCity.tga
City3    = Italy_DF/land/summer/factory_dry.tga

AirField0= land/summer/rom_air_fields_0.tga,2
AirField1=
AirField2=
AirField3=

Wood0    = land/summer/sk_LowLand0.tga
Wood1    =
Wood2    = forest/summer/sk_ForestFar.tga
Wood3    =

Water0   = water/water.tga
Water1   = water/water.tga
Water2   = water/rom_CoastLine1.tga
Water3   = water/rom_CoastLine2.tga

Here is my net 7islands

[MAP]
ColorMap  = map_c.tga
HeightMap = map_h.tga
SmallMap  = map_M.tga
TypeMap   = map_T.tga
FarMap    = map_F.tga
ReflMap   = map_R.tga

[LIGHT]
  LandLight = LandLight.mat
  CloudShadows = CloudShadows.mat

[MAP2D]
ed_m02.tga
ed_m01.tga

[WORLDPOS]
CAMOUFLAGE = SUMMER
MONTH=7
DECLIN = 54
PRESSURE    = 745
TEMPERATURE =  17

[CUBE]
Down  = Cube_bott.tga
East  = Cube_right.tga
North = Cube_front.tga
South = Cube_back.tga
Up    = Cube_top.tga
West  = Cube_left.tga

[static]
actors.static
[text]
texts.txt

[WOOD]
Wood0  = Italy_DF/forest/summer/itawood0.tga
Wood1  = Italy_DF/forest/summer/itawood1.tga
Wood2  = Italy_DF/forest/summer/itawood2.tga
Wood3  = Italy_DF/forest/summer/itawood3.tga
Wood4  = Italy_DF/forest/summer/itawood4.tga

WoodMask2  = forest/summer/ForestMask.tga
WoodMask3  = forest/summer/ForestMask2.tga
WoodMiniMasks = forest/summer/MiniMask.tga
SideWood = forest/summer/ForestSide.tga

[APPENDIX]
HighClouds = LAL_Clouds256.tga
HighCloudsNoise = LAL_CloudsNoise.tga
Moon = Moon/Moon0000.tga
ShadeNoise = land/sk_Noise.tga
WaterNoise = water/WaterNoise.tga
WaterNoiseAnimStart = Water/Animated/WaterNoise00.tga
ForestNoise= forest/summer/sk_ListForestNoise.tga
BeachFoam = water/Foam.tga
BeachSurf = water/BeachSurf.tga
BeachLand = water/RiverLand.tga
Tree0 = Trees/sk_AlteredBush8a.tga
TreeLightMask = Trees/LightM256.tga

[WATER]
Water    = water/Water.tga
WaterColorATI = 0.150 0.225 0.180
WaterColorNV  = 0.165 0.264 0.233

[ROADS]
Rail     = land/summer/sk_Rail
Road     = land/summer/Road
Highway  = land/summer/sk_Highway

[FIELDS]
LowLand0 = land/summer/sk_lowland0.tga
LowLand1 =  
LowLand2 =  
LowLand3 = land/summer/rom_fields_LowLand2.tga

MidLand0 = land/summer/sk_midland4.tga
MidLand1 = water/rom_CoastLine1.tga
MidLand2 = land/summer/sk_lowland0.tga
MidLand3 = land/summer/sk_lowland0.tga

Mount0   = land/summer/rom_lowland0.tga
Mount1   =  
Mount2   =  
Mount3   =  

Country0 = land/summer/sk_midland4.tga
Country1 =  
Country2 =  
Country3 =  

City0    =  
City1    =  
City2    =  
City3    =  

AirField0= land/summer/rom_air_fields_0.tga,2
AirField1= land/summer/rom_air_fields_0.tga,2
AirField2= land/summer/rom_air_fields_0.tga,2
AirField3= land/summer/rom_air_fields_0.tga,2

Wood0    = land/summer/sk_LowLand0.tga
Wood1    =
Wood2    = forest/summer/sk_ForestFar.tga
Wood3    =

Water0   = water/water.tga
Water1   = water/water.tga
Water2   =
Water3   = water/rom_CoastLine2.tga