Not unless the special summoning effect specifically says you can, like The Shallow Grave does.
Not if you normal summon. if you special summon, then yes.
No, a Tribute Summon follows the same position rules as a Normal Summon, so a monster you Tribute Summon is either face-up attack or Tribute Set into face-down defense.
Basically, when you special summon a monster with 1500 or less ATK with cards like marauding captain, call of the haunted, or monster reborn, you can activate this card when your opponent has a face-up monster to special summon all copies of that monster. Your opponent can special summon all copies of his monster too, but that's a rare chance IMO.
Yes, the tributed monster does not have to be face-up at all, it can be tributed while face-down.
Setting is similar, yet not identical to normal summoning. a normal summon is when you Summon a monster onto the field in face-up attack position, whereas a set is when you normal summon a monster in face-down defense position. When a monster is set, it is not yet considered a summoned monster.
You cannot tribute summon a monster in face up defense position. You can either tribute summon a monster in face down defense or face up attack position. If you want to summon in face up defense, you need to special summon.
A Normal Summon is face-up attack mode, a regular Set is face-down defence mode. You cannot Normal Summon or Flip Summon into face-up defence position unless an effect like Light of Intervention lets/makes you. Unless specified though, a Special Summon can be face-up attack or face-up defence position. However you can't special summon face-down unless an effect lets/makes you.
No, it can't be special summoned except by Fusion Summon, even if you summon it and it is destroyed, it can't be resummoned from the graveyard. However cards like Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon can be summoned with Monster Reborn, if you properly summon it first, and then it goes to the graveayrd.
Tribute is only needed for the monster's Normal Summon or Set (or Special Summon in special cases). Flip Summoning does not require any tribute at all, regardless of what monster it is.
Not if you normal summon. if you special summon, then yes.
No. A Normal Summon is face-up ATK mode, a Set is face-down Defense Mode, and a special summons can vary from face-up attack, face-up defense or face-down defense. No card can summon in face-down ATK mode, however the card Darkness Approaches can flip an ATK mode monster face-down without changing the battle position.
no the water monster must be face-up
Torrential Tribute and Bottomless Trap Hole can only be used in response to a monster's summon. Attacking a monster does not summon it (note that if the monster is face down, this is a Flip and not a Flip Summon).
No, a Tribute Summon follows the same position rules as a Normal Summon, so a monster you Tribute Summon is either face-up attack or Tribute Set into face-down defense.
Basically, when you special summon a monster with 1500 or less ATK with cards like marauding captain, call of the haunted, or monster reborn, you can activate this card when your opponent has a face-up monster to special summon all copies of that monster. Your opponent can special summon all copies of his monster too, but that's a rare chance IMO.
Yes, the tributed monster does not have to be face-up at all, it can be tributed while face-down.
Generally, no. Synchro Monsters are initially Special Summoned FACE-UP. Therefore, there is not a need for it to be Flip Summoned. However, that Synchro Monster may be affected by a card effect such as Book of Moon. In this case, the Synchro Monster is changed to face-down Defense Position. You can then Flip Summon it when possible.