Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Workload; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors; Procedure
Inside of 250 miles to DEN; we were filed for the PURRL2 STAR and DEN was landing to the north. Initially briefed the ILS to Runway 35L. Enroute to BOWEE; Denver Center advised that the southern corridor was closing and rerouted us direct to PUFFR for the KOHOE 3. ATIS said that Denver was still landing north. We then changed the approach to the RNAV/RNP Runway 35R and briefed the RNAV. During the briefing Denver once again changed the arrival to the WAHUU2 RNAV Arrival. ATIS still said Denver was landing north and we queried Denver Center and they said they expected a runway change. Based on that information we briefed the approach to Runway 16L due to the shorter taxi. Enroute to GRRUB and cleared to descend via; ATIS said that Denver was only landing Runway 16R and 17R. We changed the runway for the fourth time inside 250 miles (in this case approximately 50-75 miles from the field) and when the runway was changed; the arrival didn't sequence properly so we pulled heading and tried to go direct to KOKOO. Denver Center queried us on our heading and we told him 265 and he asked why we were on a heading. We told him the FMS was not sequenced properly due to multiple arrival and runway changes. He directed us to pickup a heading of 270 and to descent to 12000. We maintained this heading until we were passed on to Denver Approach who vectored us to the visual for 17R. It becomes difficult for all parties involved with the weather in Denver and I know that Denver Center and Approach are working hard to minimize changes once we are assigned a STAR; but four runway changes and three STAR changes are difficult even under the best of circumstances. The First Officer and I discussed what we could have done differently and we both agree that we should have been proactive in letting Denver Center know that we were having difficulties and needed a heading even though the deviation was minor. Additionally; the multiple arrival changes when vectored inside the VIA highlight the need for no transition fix on the approach.
A320 Captain reported a track deviation occurred on arrival into DEN following multiple changes to arrival procedure and runway assignment.