I have one wall in each room that was paneled in my old house. Yes, spackle in the grooves and if it needs more help after that, you can buy what is called wall-paper liner that goes up like wall paper and it helps smooth everything out. You can paint it like any other wall. Good luck!
SPACKLE!!! Smear it all over the wall and scrape it so it's flat. Let it dry for a few days. Sand it lightly, then feel for any rough patches that may need a little extra. When all else fails, don't fight it. Paint it as is - then you could take a thin brush and do a different accent color in the grooves.
When my sister-in-law redecorated her mobile home she used drywall compound to fill in the lines of the paneling, sanded it all when it was dry, primed the walls, then painted. Some of the walls she wallpapered over. It came out really nice and she never had a problems with it. There is a website http://www.wallpaperillusions.com that sells easy to apply wall paper that can be used to cover paneling. I haven't used it yet, but after the kitchen is finished I am moving on to the bedrooms which are covered in paneling. Good luck on your project, and share pictures and your results with us!
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