Any ideas what to do for circa 85 brown wood paneling?

Sand lightly prime with Zinsser or another primer that states it is for all types of materials

the paint away , you’ll be surprised at how good it looks

Here are some fantastic sites to give you options!

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/make-wall-wood-paneling-look-modern-60464.html

https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/1028346/list/how-to-update-cozy-wood-paneling

https://thedecorologist.com/dont-paint-the-paneling-other-shocking-advice-from-the-decorologist/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/304133781058813208/

We painted ours a soft antique white it looked great for years before we removed it and that was a big job

Paint it. Various colors for different rooms

They sell a material that is put on the paneling like wallpaper. This smooths out the panel, hiding the grooves.You can then paint like you would and wall. the other solution would be to remove the paneling,patch the wall and repaint.

One other possible solution would be to put new drywall over the paneling. They now make a 1/4" thick drywall which is often used to cover popcorn ceilings. It is very lightweight and easy to handle but you would still have to tape and mud and sand the seams. The material that is put on like wallpaper is expensive and might be suitable for a small area but very expensive for a whole house.